Surgical system distributed processing

ABSTRACT

Surgical hub systems are disclosed. A surgical hub system comprises a surgical hub configured to communicably couple to a modular device comprising a sensor configured to detect data associated with the modular device and a device processor. The surgical hub comprises a hub processor, a hub memory coupled to the hub processor. The surgical hub system also comprises a distributed control system executable at least in part by each of the device processor and the hub processor. The distributed control system is configured to: receive the data detected by the sensor; determine control adjustments for the modular device according to the data; and control the modular device according to the control adjustments. When in a first mode, the distributed control system is executed by both the hub processor and the device processor. In a second mode, the distributed control system is executed solely by the device processor.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e)to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,300, titledSURGICAL HUB SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, filed Mar. 28, 2018, the disclosureof which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

This application also claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/611,341,titled INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM, filed Dec. 28, 2017, of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/611,340, titled CLOUD-BASEDMEDICAL ANALYTICS, filed Dec. 28, 2017, of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/611,339, titled ROBOT ASSISTED SURGICALPLATFORM, filed Dec. 28, 2017, the disclosure of each of which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to various surgical systems. Surgicalprocedures are typically performed in surgical operating theaters orrooms in a healthcare facility such as, for example, a hospital. Asterile field is typically created around the patient. The sterile fieldmay include the scrubbed team members, who are properly attired, and allfurniture and fixtures in the area. Various surgical devices and systemsare utilized in performance of a surgical procedure.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect, a system is provided. The system comprises asurgical hub configured to communicably couple to a modular device. Themodular device comprises a sensor configured to detect data associatedwith the modular device and a device processor. The surgical hubcomprises a hub processor, a hub memory coupled to the hub processor. Inaddition to the surgical hub, the system also comprises a distributedcontrol system executable at least in part by each of the deviceprocessor and the hub processor. The distributed control system isconfigured to: receive the data detected by the sensor; determinecontrol adjustments for the modular device according to the data; andcontrol the modular device according to the control adjustments. When ina first mode, the distributed control system is executed by both the hubprocessor and the device processor. When in a second mode, thedistributed control system is executed solely by the device processor.

In another general aspect, another system is provided. The systemcomprises a modular device configured to communicably couple to asurgical hub made up of a hub processor. The modular device comprises asensor configured to detect data associated with the modular device; adevice memory; and a device processor coupled to the device memory andthe sensor. In addition to the modular device, the system also comprisesa distributed control system executable at least in part by each of thedevice processor and the hub processor. The distributed control systemis configured to receive the data detected by the sensor; determinecontrol adjustments for the modular device according to the data; andcontrol the modular device according to the control adjustments. In afirst mode, the distributed control system is executed by both the hubprocessor and the device processor. In a second mode, the distributedcontrol system is executed solely by the device processor.

In yet another general aspect, another system is provided. The system isconfigured to control a modular device comprising a sensor configured todetect data associated with the modular device. The system comprises afirst surgical hub configured to communicably couple to the modulardevice and to a second surgical hub comprising a second processor. Thefirst surgical hub comprises a memory and a first processor coupled tothe memory. The system also comprises a distributed control systemexecutable at least in part by each of the first processor and thesecond processor The distributed control system is configured to receivethe data detected by the sensor; determine control adjustments for themodular device according to the data; and control the modular deviceaccording to the control adjustments.

FIGURES

The features of various aspects are set forth with particularity in theappended claims. The various aspects, however, both as to organizationand methods of operation, together with further objects and advantagesthereof, may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings asfollows.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer-implemented interactive surgicalsystem, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a surgical system being used to perform a surgical procedurein an operating room, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a surgical hub paired with a visualization system, a roboticsystem, and an intelligent instrument, in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a surgical hub enclosure, and ofa combo generator module slidably receivable in a drawer of the surgicalhub enclosure, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a combo generator module with bipolar,ultrasonic, and monopolar contacts and a smoke evacuation component, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates individual power bus attachments for a plurality oflateral docking ports of a lateral modular housing configured to receivea plurality of modules, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a vertical modular housing configured to receive aplurality of modules, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates a surgical data network comprising a modularcommunication hub configured to connect modular devices located in oneor more operating theaters of a healthcare facility, or any room in ahealthcare facility specially equipped for surgical operations, to thecloud, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a computer-implemented interactive surgical system,in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a surgical hub comprising a plurality of modulescoupled to the modular control tower, in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates one aspect of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) networkhub device, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates a logic diagram of a control system of a surgicalinstrument or tool, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates a control circuit configured to control aspects ofthe surgical instrument or tool, in accordance with at least one aspectof the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 illustrates a combinational logic circuit configured to controlaspects of the surgical instrument or tool, in accordance with at leastone aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 illustrates a sequential logic circuit configured to controlaspects of the surgical instrument or tool, in accordance with at leastone aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 illustrates a surgical instrument or tool comprising a pluralityof motors which can be activated to perform various functions, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a robotic surgical instrumentconfigured to operate a surgical tool described herein, in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 illustrates a block diagram of a surgical instrument programmedto control the distal translation of a displacement member, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of a surgical instrument configured tocontrol various functions, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 20 is a simplified block diagram of a generator configured toprovide inductorless tuning, among other benefits, in accordance with atleast one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a generator, which is one form of thegenerator of FIG. 20, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 22 illustrates a diagram of a situationally aware surgical system,in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23A illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for controlling amodular device according to contextual information derived from receiveddata, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23B illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for controlling asecond modular device according to contextual information derived fromperioperative data received from a first modular device, in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23C illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for controlling asecond modular device according to contextual information derived fromperioperative data received from a first modular device and the secondmodular device, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 23D illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for controlling athird modular device according to contextual information derived fromperioperative data received from a first modular device and a secondmodular device, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 24A illustrates a diagram of a surgical hub communicably coupled toa particular set of modular devices and an Electronic Medical Record(EMR) database, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 24B illustrates a diagram of a smoke evacuator including pressuresensors, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 25A illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining aprocedure type according to smoke evacuator perioperative data, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25B illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining aprocedure type according to smoke evacuator, insufflator, and medicalimaging device perioperative data, in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25C illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining aprocedure type according to medical imaging device perioperative data,in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25D illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining aprocedural step according to insufflator perioperative data, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25E illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining aprocedural step according to energy generator perioperative data, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25F illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining aprocedural step according to energy generator perioperative data, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25G illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining aprocedural step according to stapler perioperative data, in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25H illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining apatient status according to ventilator, pulse oximeter, blood pressuremonitor, and/or EKG monitor perioperative data, in accordance with atleast one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25I illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining apatient status according to pulse oximeter, blood pressure monitor,and/or EKG monitor perioperative data, in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25J illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for determining apatient status according to ventilator perioperative data, in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 26A illustrates a scanner coupled to a surgical hub for scanning apatient wristband, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 26B illustrates a scanner coupled to a surgical hub for scanning alist of surgical items, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 27 illustrates a timeline of an illustrative surgical procedure andthe inferences that the surgical hub can make from the data detected ateach step in the surgical procedure, in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 28A illustrates a flow diagram depicting the process of importingpatient data stored in an EMR database and deriving inferencestherefrom, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 28B illustrates a flow diagram depicting the process of determiningcontrol adjustments corresponding to the derived inferences from FIG.28A, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 29 illustrates a block diagram of a computer-implementedinteractive surgical system, in accordance with at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 30 illustrates a logic flow diagram of tracking data associatedwith an operating theater event, in accordance with at least one aspectof the present disclosure.

FIG. 31 illustrates a diagram depicting how the data tracked by thesurgical hub can be parsed to provide increasingly detailed metrics, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 32 illustrates a bar graph depicting the number of patientsoperated on relative to the days of a week for different operatingrooms, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 33 illustrates a bar graph depicting the total downtime betweenprocedures relative to the days of a week for a particular operatingroom, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 34 illustrates a bar graph depicting the total downtime per day ofthe week depicted in FIG. 33 broken down according to each individualdowntime instance, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 35 illustrates a bar graph depicting the average procedure lengthrelative to the days of a week for a particular operating room, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 36 illustrates a bar graph depicting procedure length relative toprocedure type, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 37 illustrates a bar graph depicting the average completion timefor particular procedural steps for different types of thoracicprocedures, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 38 illustrates a bar graph depicting procedure time relative toprocedure types, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 39 illustrates a bar graph depicting operating room downtimerelative to the time of day, in accordance with at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 40 illustrates a bar graph depicting operating room downtimerelative to the day of the week, in accordance with at least one aspectof the present disclosure.

FIG. 41 illustrates a pair of pie charts depicting the percentage oftime that the operating theater is utilized, in accordance with at leastone aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 42 illustrates a bar graph depicting consumed and unused surgicalitems relative to procedure type, in accordance with at least one aspectof the present disclosure.

FIG. 43 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for storing datafrom the modular devices and patient information database forcomparison, in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 44 illustrates a diagram of a distributed computing system, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 45 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process for shiftingdistributed computing resources, in accordance with at least one aspectof the present disclosure.

FIG. 46 illustrates a diagram of an imaging system and a surgicalinstrument bearing a calibration scale, in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION

Applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. ProvisionalPatent Applications, filed on Mar. 28, 2018, each of which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety:

-   -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,302, titled        INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION        CAPABILITIES;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,294, titled        DATA STRIPPING METHOD TO INTERROGATE PATIENT RECORDS AND CREATE        ANONYMIZED RECORD;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,300, titled        SURGICAL HUB SITUATIONAL AWARENESS;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,309, titled        SURGICAL HUB SPATIAL AWARENESS TO DETERMINE DEVICES IN OPERATING        THEATER;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,310, titled        COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,291, titled        USE OF LASER LIGHT AND RED-GREEN-BLUE COLORATION TO DETERMINE        PROPERTIES OF BACK SCATTERED LIGHT;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,296, titled        ADAPTIVE CONTROL PROGRAM UPDATES FOR SURGICAL DEVICES;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,333, titled        CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR CUSTOMIZATION AND        RECOMMENDATIONS TO A USER;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,327, titled        CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION        TRENDS AND REACTIVE MEASURES;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,315, titled        DATA HANDLING AND PRIORITIZATION IN A CLOUD ANALYTICS NETWORK;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,313, titled        CLOUD INTERFACE FOR COUPLED SURGICAL DEVICES;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,320, titled        DRIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS;    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,307, titled        AUTOMATIC TOOL ADJUSTMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL        PLATFORMS; and    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/649,323, titled        SENSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS.

Applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. patentapplications, filed on Mar. 29, 2018, each of which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety:

-   -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled INTERACTIVE        SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES;        Attorney Docket No. END8499USNP/170766;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled INTERACTIVE        SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH CONDITION HANDLING OF DEVICES AND DATA        CAPABILITIES; Attorney Docket No. END8499USNP1/170766-1;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled SURGICAL HUB        COORDINATION OF CONTROL AND COMMUNICATION OF OPERATING ROOM        DEVICES; Attorney Docket No. END8499USNP2/170766-2;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled SPATIAL        AWARENESS OF SURGICAL HUBS IN OPERATING ROOMS; Attorney Docket        No. END8499USNP3/170766-3;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled COOPERATIVE        UTILIZATION OF DATA DERIVED FROM SECONDARY SOURCES BY        INTELLIGENT SURGICAL HUBS; Attorney Docket No.        END8499USNP4/170766-4;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled SURGICAL HUB        CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS; Attorney Docket No. END8499USNP5/170766-5;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled DATA STRIPPING        METHOD TO INTERROGATE PATIENT RECORDS AND CREATE ANONYMIZED        RECORD; Attorney Docket No. END8500USNP/170767;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled COMMUNICATION        HUB AND STORAGE DEVICE FOR STORING PARAMETERS AND STATUS OF A        SURGICAL DEVICE TO BE SHARED WITH CLOUD BASED ANALYTICS SYSTEMS;        Attorney Docket No. END8500USNP1/170767-1;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled SELF DESCRIBING        DATA PACKETS GENERATED AT AN ISSUING INSTRUMENT; Attorney Docket        No. END8500USNP2/170767-2;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled DATA PAIRING TO        INTERCONNECT A DEVICE MEASURED PARAMETER WITH AN OUTCOME;        Attorney Docket No. END8500USNP3/170767-3;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled SURGICAL HUB        SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; Attorney Docket No. END8501USNP/170768;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled AGGREGATION AND        REPORTING OF SURGICAL HUB DATA; Attorney Docket No.        END8501USNP2/170768-2;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled SURGICAL HUB        SPATIAL AWARENESS TO DETERMINE DEVICES IN OPERATING THEATER;        Attorney Docket No. END8502USNP/170769;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled DISPLAY OF        ALIGNMENT OF STAPLE CARTRIDGE TO PRIOR LINEAR STAPLE LINE;        Attorney Docket No. END8502USNP1/170769-1;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled STERILE FIELD        INTERACTIVE CONTROL DISPLAYS; Attorney Docket No.        END8502USNP2/170769-2;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled COMPUTER        IMPLEMENTED INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS; Attorney Docket No.        END8503USNP/170770;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled USE OF LASER        LIGHT AND RED-GREEN-BLUE COLORATION TO DETERMINE PROPERTIES OF        BACK SCATTERED LIGHT; Attorney Docket No. END8504USNP/170771;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CHARACTERIZATION        OF TISSUE IRREGULARITIES THROUGH THE USE OF MONO-CHROMATIC LIGHT        REFRACTIVITY; Attorney Docket No. END8504USNP1/170771-1; and    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled DUAL CMOS ARRAY        IMAGING; Attorney Docket No. END8504USNP2/170771-2.

Applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. patentapplications, filed on Mar. 29, 2018, each of which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety:

-   -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled ADAPTIVE CONTROL        PROGRAM UPDATES FOR SURGICAL DEVICES; Attorney Docket No.        END8506USNP/170773;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled ADAPTIVE CONTROL        PROGRAM UPDATES FOR SURGICAL HUBS; Attorney Docket No.        END8506USNP1/170773-1;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CLOUD-BASED        MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR CUSTOMIZATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO A        USER; Attorney Docket No. END8507USNP/170774;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CLOUD-BASED        MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR LINKING OF LOCAL USAGE TRENDS WITH THE        RESOURCE ACQUISITION BEHAVIORS OF LARGER DATA SET; Attorney        Docket No. END8507USNP1/170774-1;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CLOUD-BASED        MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR MEDICAL FACILITY SEGMENTED        INDIVIDUALIZATION OF INSTRUMENT FUNCTION; Attorney Docket No.        END8507USNP2/170774-2;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CLOUD-BASED        MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION TRENDS AND        REACTIVE MEASURES; Attorney Docket No. END8508USNP/170775;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled DATA HANDLING        AND PRIORITIZATION IN A CLOUD ANALYTICS NETWORK; Attorney Docket        No. END8509USNP/170776; and    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CLOUD INTERFACE        FOR COUPLED SURGICAL DEVICES; Attorney Docket No.        END8510USNP/170777.

Applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. patentapplications, filed on Mar. 29, 2018, each of which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety:

-   -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled DRIVE        ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney        Docket No. END8511USNP/170778;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled COMMUNICATION        ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney        Docket No. END8511USNP1/170778-1;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CONTROLS FOR        ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney Docket No.        END8511USNP2/170778-2;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled AUTOMATIC TOOL        ADJUSTMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney        Docket No. END8512USNP/170779;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled CONTROLLERS FOR        ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney Docket No.        END8512USNP1/170779-1;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled COOPERATIVE        SURGICAL ACTIONS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney        Docket No. END8512USNP2/170779-2;    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled DISPLAY        ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney        Docket No. END8512USNP3/170779-3; and    -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, titled SENSING        ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS; Attorney        Docket No. END8513USNP/170780.

Before explaining various aspects of surgical devices and generators indetail, it should be noted that the illustrative examples are notlimited in application or use to the details of construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddescription. The illustrative examples may be implemented orincorporated in other aspects, variations and modifications, and may bepracticed or carried out in various ways. Further, unless otherwiseindicated, the terms and expressions employed herein have been chosenfor the purpose of describing the illustrative examples for theconvenience of the reader and are not for the purpose of limitationthereof. Also, it will be appreciated that one or more of thefollowing-described aspects, expressions of aspects, and/or examples,can be combined with any one or more of the other following-describedaspects, expressions of aspects and/or examples.

Referring to FIG. 1, a computer-implemented interactive surgical system100 includes one or more surgical systems 102 and a cloud-based system(e.g., the cloud 104 that may include a remote server 113 coupled to astorage device 105). Each surgical system 102 includes at least onesurgical hub 106 in communication with the cloud 104 that may include aremote server 113. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, thesurgical system 102 includes a visualization system 108, a roboticsystem 110, and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument 112, whichare configured to communicate with one another and/or the hub 106. Insome aspects, a surgical system 102 may include an M number of hubs 106,an N number of visualization systems 108, an O number of robotic systems110, and a P number of handheld intelligent surgical instruments 112,where M, N, O, and P are integers greater than or equal to one.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a surgical system 102 being used to performa surgical procedure on a patient who is lying down on an operatingtable 114 in a surgical operating room 116. A robotic system 110 is usedin the surgical procedure as a part of the surgical system 102. Therobotic system 110 includes a surgeon's console 118, a patient side cart120 (surgical robot), and a surgical robotic hub 122. The patient sidecart 120 can manipulate at least one removably coupled surgical tool 117through a minimally invasive incision in the body of the patient whilethe surgeon views the surgical site through the surgeon's console 118.An image of the surgical site can be obtained by a medical imagingdevice 124, which can be manipulated by the patient side cart 120 toorient the imaging device 124. The robotic hub 122 can be used toprocess the images of the surgical site for subsequent display to thesurgeon through the surgeon's console 118.

Other types of robotic systems can be readily adapted for use with thesurgical system 102. Various examples of robotic systems and surgicaltools that are suitable for use with the present disclosure aredescribed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/611,339,titled ROBOT ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORM, filed Dec. 28, 2017, thedisclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Various examples of cloud-based analytics that are performed by thecloud 104, and are suitable for use with the present disclosure, aredescribed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/611,340,titled CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS, filed Dec. 28, 2017, thedisclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In various aspects, the imaging device 124 includes at least one imagesensor and one or more optical components. Suitable image sensorsinclude, but are not limited to, Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) sensors andComplementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors.

The optical components of the imaging device 124 may include one or moreillumination sources and/or one or more lenses. The one or moreillumination sources may be directed to illuminate portions of thesurgical field. The one or more image sensors may receive lightreflected or refracted from the surgical field, including lightreflected or refracted from tissue and/or surgical instruments.

The one or more illumination sources may be configured to radiateelectromagnetic energy in the visible spectrum as well as the invisiblespectrum. The visible spectrum, sometimes referred to as the opticalspectrum or luminous spectrum, is that portion of the electromagneticspectrum that is visible to (i.e., can be detected by) the human eye andmay be referred to as visible light or simply light. A typical human eyewill respond to wavelengths in air that are from about 380 nm to about750 nm.

The invisible spectrum (i.e., the non-luminous spectrum) is that portionof the electromagnetic spectrum that lies below and above the visiblespectrum (i.e., wavelengths below about 380 nm and above about 750 nm).The invisible spectrum is not detectable by the human eye. Wavelengthsgreater than about 750 nm are longer than the red visible spectrum, andthey become invisible infrared (IR), microwave, and radioelectromagnetic radiation. Wavelengths less than about 380 nm areshorter than the violet spectrum, and they become invisible ultraviolet,x-ray, and gamma ray electromagnetic radiation.

In various aspects, the imaging device 124 is configured for use in aminimally invasive procedure. Examples of imaging devices suitable foruse with the present disclosure include, but not limited to, anarthroscope, angioscope, bronchoscope, choledochoscope, colonoscope,cytoscope, duodenoscope, enteroscope, esophagogastro-duodenoscope(gastroscope), endoscope, laryngoscope, nasopharyngo-neproscope,sigmoidoscope, thoracoscope, and ureteroscope.

In one aspect, the imaging device employs multi-spectrum monitoring todiscriminate topography and underlying structures. A multi-spectralimage is one that captures image data within specific wavelength rangesacross the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated byfilters or by the use of instruments that are sensitive to particularwavelengths, including light from frequencies beyond the visible lightrange, e.g., IR and ultraviolet. Spectral imaging can allow extractionof additional information the human eye fails to capture with itsreceptors for red, green, and blue. The use of multi-spectral imaging isdescribed in greater detail under the heading “Advanced ImagingAcquisition Module” in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/611,341, titled INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM, filed Dec. 28, 2017,the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety. Multi-spectrum monitoring can be a useful tool in relocating asurgical field after a surgical task is completed to perform one or moreof the previously described tests on the treated tissue.

It is axiomatic that strict sterilization of the operating room andsurgical equipment is required during any surgery. The strict hygieneand sterilization conditions required in a “surgical theater,” i.e., anoperating or treatment room, necessitate the highest possible sterilityof all medical devices and equipment. Part of that sterilization processis the need to sterilize anything that comes in contact with the patientor penetrates the sterile field, including the imaging device 124 andits attachments and components. It will be appreciated that the sterilefield may be considered a specified area, such as within a tray or on asterile towel, that is considered free of microorganisms, or the sterilefield may be considered an area, immediately around a patient, who hasbeen prepared for a surgical procedure. The sterile field may includethe scrubbed team members, who are properly attired, and all furnitureand fixtures in the area.

In various aspects, the visualization system 108 includes one or moreimaging sensors, one or more image processing units, one or more storagearrays, and one or more displays that are strategically arranged withrespect to the sterile field, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In one aspect,the visualization system 108 includes an interface for HL7, PACS, andEMR. Various components of the visualization system 108 are describedunder the heading “Advanced Imaging Acquisition Module” in U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/611,341, titled INTERACTIVESURGICAL PLATFORM, filed Dec. 28, 2017, the disclosure of which isherein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a primary display 119 is positioned in thesterile field to be visible to an operator at the operating table 114.In addition, a visualization tower 111 is positioned outside the sterilefield. The visualization tower 111 includes a first non-sterile display107 and a second non-sterile display 109, which face away from eachother. The visualization system 108, guided by the hub 106, isconfigured to utilize the displays 107, 109, and 119 to coordinateinformation flow to operators inside and outside the sterile field. Forexample, the hub 106 may cause the visualization system 108 to display asnap-shot of a surgical site, as recorded by an imaging device 124, on anon-sterile display 107 or 109, while maintaining a live feed of thesurgical site on the primary display 119. The snap-shot on thenon-sterile display 107 or 109 can permit a non-sterile operator toperform a diagnostic step relevant to the surgical procedure, forexample.

In one aspect, the hub 106 is also configured to route a diagnosticinput or feedback entered by a non-sterile operator at the visualizationtower 111 to the primary display 119 within the sterile field, where itcan be viewed by a sterile operator at the operating table. In oneexample, the input can be in the form of a modification to the snap-shotdisplayed on the non-sterile display 107 or 109, which can be routed tothe primary display 119 by the hub 106.

Referring to FIG. 2, a surgical instrument 112 is being used in thesurgical procedure as part of the surgical system 102. The hub 106 isalso configured to coordinate information flow to a display of thesurgical instrument 112. For example, in U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/611,341, titled INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM,filed Dec. 28, 2017, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety. A diagnostic input or feedback entered by anon-sterile operator at the visualization tower 111 can be routed by thehub 106 to the surgical instrument display 115 within the sterile field,where it can be viewed by the operator of the surgical instrument 112.Example surgical instruments that are suitable for use with the surgicalsystem 102 are described under the heading “Surgical InstrumentHardware” and in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/611,341, titled INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM, filed Dec. 28, 2017,the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety, for example.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a hub 106 is depicted in communication with avisualization system 108, a robotic system 110, and a handheldintelligent surgical instrument 112. The hub 106 includes a hub display135, an imaging module 138, a generator module 140, a communicationmodule 130, a processor module 132, and a storage array 134. In certainaspects, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the hub 106 further includes a smokeevacuation module 126 and/or a suction/irrigation module 128.

During a surgical procedure, energy application to tissue, for sealingand/or cutting, is generally associated with smoke evacuation, suctionof excess fluid, and/or irrigation of the tissue. Fluid, power, and/ordata lines from different sources are often entangled during thesurgical procedure. Valuable time can be lost addressing this issueduring a surgical procedure. Detangling the lines may necessitatedisconnecting the lines from their respective modules, which may requireresetting the modules. The hub modular enclosure 136 offers a unifiedenvironment for managing the power, data, and fluid lines, which reducesthe frequency of entanglement between such lines.

Aspects of the present disclosure present a surgical hub for use in asurgical procedure that involves energy application to tissue at asurgical site. The surgical hub includes a hub enclosure and a combogenerator module slidably receivable in a docking station of the hubenclosure. The docking station includes data and power contacts. Thecombo generator module includes two or more of an ultrasonic energygenerator component, a bipolar RF energy generator component, and amonopolar RF energy generator component that are housed in a singleunit. In one aspect, the combo generator module also includes a smokeevacuation component, at least one energy delivery cable for connectingthe combo generator module to a surgical instrument, at least one smokeevacuation component configured to evacuate smoke, fluid, and/orparticulates generated by the application of therapeutic energy to thetissue, and a fluid line extending from the remote surgical site to thesmoke evacuation component.

In one aspect, the fluid line is a first fluid line and a second fluidline extends from the remote surgical site to a suction and irrigationmodule slidably received in the hub enclosure. In one aspect, the hubenclosure comprises a fluid interface.

Certain surgical procedures may require the application of more than oneenergy type to the tissue. One energy type may be more beneficial forcutting the tissue, while another different energy type may be morebeneficial for sealing the tissue. For example, a bipolar generator canbe used to seal the tissue while an ultrasonic generator can be used tocut the sealed tissue. Aspects of the present disclosure present asolution where a hub modular enclosure 136 is configured to accommodatedifferent generators, and facilitate an interactive communicationtherebetween. One of the advantages of the hub modular enclosure 136 isenabling the quick removal and/or replacement of various modules.

Aspects of the present disclosure present a modular surgical enclosurefor use in a surgical procedure that involves energy application totissue. The modular surgical enclosure includes a first energy-generatormodule, configured to generate a first energy for application to thetissue, and a first docking station comprising a first docking port thatincludes first data and power contacts, wherein the firstenergy-generator module is slidably movable into an electricalengagement with the power and data contacts and wherein the firstenergy-generator module is slidably movable out of the electricalengagement with the first power and data contacts.

Further to the above, the modular surgical enclosure also includes asecond energy-generator module configured to generate a second energy,different than the first energy, for application to the tissue, and asecond docking station comprising a second docking port that includessecond data and power contacts, wherein the second energy-generatormodule is slidably movable into an electrical engagement with the powerand data contacts, and wherein the second energy-generator module isslidably movable out of the electrical engagement with the second powerand data contacts.

In addition, the modular surgical enclosure also includes acommunication bus between the first docking port and the second dockingport, configured to facilitate communication between the firstenergy-generator module and the second energy-generator module.

Referring to FIGS. 3-7, aspects of the present disclosure are presentedfor a hub modular enclosure 136 that allows the modular integration of agenerator module 140, a smoke evacuation module 126, and asuction/irrigation module 128. The hub modular enclosure 136 furtherfacilitates interactive communication between the modules 140, 126, 128.As illustrated in FIG. 5, the generator module 140 can be a generatormodule with integrated monopolar, bipolar, and ultrasonic componentssupported in a single housing unit 139 slidably insertable into the hubmodular enclosure 136. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the generator module140 can be configured to connect to a monopolar device 146, a bipolardevice 147, and an ultrasonic device 148. Alternatively, the generatormodule 140 may comprise a series of monopolar, bipolar, and/orultrasonic generator modules that interact through the hub modularenclosure 136. The hub modular enclosure 136 can be configured tofacilitate the insertion of multiple generators and interactivecommunication between the generators docked into the hub modularenclosure 136 so that the generators would act as a single generator.

In one aspect, the hub modular enclosure 136 comprises a modular powerand communication backplane 149 with external and wireless communicationheaders to enable the removable attachment of the modules 140, 126, 128and interactive communication therebetween.

In one aspect, the hub modular enclosure 136 includes docking stations,or drawers, 151, herein also referred to as drawers, which areconfigured to slidably receive the modules 140, 126, 128. FIG. 4illustrates a partial perspective view of a surgical hub enclosure 136,and a combo generator module 145 slidably receivable in a dockingstation 151 of the surgical hub enclosure 136. A docking port 152 withpower and data contacts on a rear side of the combo generator module 145is configured to engage a corresponding docking port 150 with power anddata contacts of a corresponding docking station 151 of the hub modularenclosure 136 as the combo generator module 145 is slid into positionwithin the corresponding docking station 151 of the hub module enclosure136. In one aspect, the combo generator module 145 includes a bipolar,ultrasonic, and monopolar module and a smoke evacuation moduleintegrated together into a single housing unit 139, as illustrated inFIG. 5.

In various aspects, the smoke evacuation module 126 includes a fluidline 154 that conveys captured/collected smoke and/or fluid away from asurgical site and to, for example, the smoke evacuation module 126.Vacuum suction originating from the smoke evacuation module 126 can drawthe smoke into an opening of a utility conduit at the surgical site. Theutility conduit, coupled to the fluid line, can be in the form of aflexible tube terminating at the smoke evacuation module 126. Theutility conduit and the fluid line define a fluid path extending towardthe smoke evacuation module 126 that is received in the hub enclosure136.

In various aspects, the suction/irrigation module 128 is coupled to asurgical tool comprising an aspiration fluid line and a suction fluidline. In one example, the aspiration and suction fluid lines are in theform of flexible tubes extending from the surgical site toward thesuction/irrigation module 128. One or more drive systems can beconfigured to cause irrigation and aspiration of fluids to and from thesurgical site.

In one aspect, the surgical tool includes a shaft having an end effectorat a distal end thereof and at least one energy treatment associatedwith the end effector, an aspiration tube, and an irrigation tube. Theaspiration tube can have an inlet port at a distal end thereof and theaspiration tube extends through the shaft. Similarly, an irrigation tubecan extend through the shaft and can have an inlet port in proximity tothe energy deliver implement. The energy deliver implement is configuredto deliver ultrasonic and/or RF energy to the surgical site and iscoupled to the generator module 140 by a cable extending initiallythrough the shaft.

The irrigation tube can be in fluid communication with a fluid source,and the aspiration tube can be in fluid communication with a vacuumsource. The fluid source and/or the vacuum source can be housed in thesuction/irrigation module 128. In one example, the fluid source and/orthe vacuum source can be housed in the hub enclosure 136 separately fromthe suction/irrigation module 128. In such example, a fluid interfacecan be configured to connect the suction/irrigation module 128 to thefluid source and/or the vacuum source.

In one aspect, the modules 140, 126, 128 and/or their correspondingdocking stations on the hub modular enclosure 136 may include alignmentfeatures that are configured to align the docking ports of the modulesinto engagement with their counterparts in the docking stations of thehub modular enclosure 136. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, thecombo generator module 145 includes side brackets 155 that areconfigured to slidably engage with corresponding brackets 156 of thecorresponding docking station 151 of the hub modular enclosure 136. Thebrackets cooperate to guide the docking port contacts of the combogenerator module 145 into an electrical engagement with the docking portcontacts of the hub modular enclosure 136.

In some aspects, the drawers 151 of the hub modular enclosure 136 arethe same, or substantially the same size, and the modules are adjustedin size to be received in the drawers 151. For example, the sidebrackets 155 and/or 156 can be larger or smaller depending on the sizeof the module. In other aspects, the drawers 151 are different in sizeand are each designed to accommodate a particular module.

Furthermore, the contacts of a particular module can be keyed forengagement with the contacts of a particular drawer to avoid inserting amodule into a drawer with mismatching contacts.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the docking port 150 of one drawer 151 can becoupled to the docking port 150 of another drawer 151 through acommunications link 157 to facilitate an interactive communicationbetween the modules housed in the hub modular enclosure 136. The dockingports 150 of the hub modular enclosure 136 may alternatively, oradditionally, facilitate a wireless interactive communication betweenthe modules housed in the hub modular enclosure 136. Any suitablewireless communication can be employed, such as for example AirTitan-Bluetooth.

FIG. 6 illustrates individual power bus attachments for a plurality oflateral docking ports of a lateral modular housing 160 configured toreceive a plurality of modules of a surgical hub 206. The lateralmodular housing 160 is configured to laterally receive and interconnectthe modules 161. The modules 161 are slidably inserted into dockingstations 162 of lateral modular housing 160, which includes a backplanefor interconnecting the modules 161. As illustrated in FIG. 6, themodules 161 are arranged laterally in the lateral modular housing 160.Alternatively, the modules 161 may be arranged vertically in a lateralmodular housing.

FIG. 7 illustrates a vertical modular housing 164 configured to receivea plurality of modules 165 of the surgical hub 106. The modules 165 areslidably inserted into docking stations, or drawers, 167 of verticalmodular housing 164, which includes a backplane for interconnecting themodules 165. Although the drawers 167 of the vertical modular housing164 are arranged vertically, in certain instances, a vertical modularhousing 164 may include drawers that are arranged laterally.Furthermore, the modules 165 may interact with one another through thedocking ports of the vertical modular housing 164. In the example ofFIG. 7, a display 177 is provided for displaying data relevant to theoperation of the modules 165. In addition, the vertical modular housing164 includes a master module 178 housing a plurality of sub-modules thatare slidably received in the master module 178.

In various aspects, the imaging module 138 comprises an integrated videoprocessor and a modular light source and is adapted for use with variousimaging devices. In one aspect, the imaging device is comprised of amodular housing that can be assembled with a light source module and acamera module. The housing can be a disposable housing. In at least oneexample, the disposable housing is removably coupled to a reusablecontroller, a light source module, and a camera module. The light sourcemodule and/or the camera module can be selectively chosen depending onthe type of surgical procedure. In one aspect, the camera modulecomprises a CCD sensor. In another aspect, the camera module comprises aCMOS sensor. In another aspect, the camera module is configured forscanned beam imaging. Likewise, the light source module can beconfigured to deliver a white light or a different light, depending onthe surgical procedure.

During a surgical procedure, removing a surgical device from thesurgical field and replacing it with another surgical device thatincludes a different camera or a different light source can beinefficient. Temporarily losing sight of the surgical field may lead toundesirable consequences. The module imaging device of the presentdisclosure is configured to permit the replacement of a light sourcemodule or a camera module midstream during a surgical procedure, withouthaving to remove the imaging device from the surgical field.

In one aspect, the imaging device comprises a tubular housing thatincludes a plurality of channels. A first channel is configured toslidably receive the camera module, which can be configured for asnap-fit engagement with the first channel. A second channel isconfigured to slidably receive the light source module, which can beconfigured for a snap-fit engagement with the second channel. In anotherexample, the camera module and/or the light source module can be rotatedinto a final position within their respective channels. A threadedengagement can be employed in lieu of the snap-fit engagement.

In various examples, multiple imaging devices are placed at differentpositions in the surgical field to provide multiple views. The imagingmodule 138 can be configured to switch between the imaging devices toprovide an optimal view. In various aspects, the imaging module 138 canbe configured to integrate the images from the different imaging device.

Various image processors and imaging devices suitable for use with thepresent disclosure are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,995,045, titledCOMBINED SBI AND CONVENTIONAL IMAGE PROCESSOR, which issued on Aug. 9,2011, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Inaddition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,982,776, titled SBI MOTION ARTIFACT REMOVALAPPARATUS AND METHOD, which issued on Jul. 19, 2011, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety, describes various systems forremoving motion artifacts from image data. Such systems can beintegrated with the imaging module 138. Furthermore, U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2011/0306840, titled CONTROLLABLE MAGNETICSOURCE TO FIXTURE INTRACORPOREAL APPARATUS, which published on Dec. 15,2011, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0243597, titledSYSTEM FOR PERFORMING A MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURE, whichpublished on Aug. 28, 2014, each of which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIG. 8 illustrates a surgical data network 201 comprising a modularcommunication hub 203 configured to connect modular devices located inone or more operating theaters of a healthcare facility, or any room ina healthcare facility specially equipped for surgical operations, to acloud-based system (e.g., the cloud 204 that may include a remote server213 coupled to a storage device 205). In one aspect, the modularcommunication hub 203 comprises a network hub 207 and/or a networkswitch 209 in communication with a network router. The modularcommunication hub 203 also can be coupled to a local computer system 210to provide local computer processing and data manipulation. The surgicaldata network 201 may be configured as passive, intelligent, orswitching. A passive surgical data network serves as a conduit for thedata, enabling it to go from one device (or segment) to another and tothe cloud computing resources. An intelligent surgical data networkincludes additional features to enable the traffic passing through thesurgical data network to be monitored and to configure each port in thenetwork hub 207 or network switch 209. An intelligent surgical datanetwork may be referred to as a manageable hub or switch. A switchinghub reads the destination address of each packet and then forwards thepacket to the correct port.

Modular devices 1 a-1 n located in the operating theater may be coupledto the modular communication hub 203. The network hub 207 and/or thenetwork switch 209 may be coupled to a network router 211 to connect thedevices 1 a-1 n to the cloud 204 or the local computer system 210. Dataassociated with the devices 1 a-1 n may be transferred to cloud-basedcomputers via the router for remote data processing and manipulation.Data associated with the devices 1 a-1 n may also be transferred to thelocal computer system 210 for local data processing and manipulation.Modular devices 2 a-2 m located in the same operating theater also maybe coupled to a network switch 209. The network switch 209 may becoupled to the network hub 207 and/or the network router 211 to connectto the devices 2 a-2 m to the cloud 204. Data associated with thedevices 2 a-2 n may be transferred to the cloud 204 via the networkrouter 211 for data processing and manipulation. Data associated withthe devices 2 a-2 m may also be transferred to the local computer system210 for local data processing and manipulation.

It will be appreciated that the surgical data network 201 may beexpanded by interconnecting multiple network hubs 207 and/or multiplenetwork switches 209 with multiple network routers 211. The modularcommunication hub 203 may be contained in a modular control towerconfigured to receive multiple devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m. The localcomputer system 210 also may be contained in a modular control tower.The modular communication hub 203 is connected to a display 212 todisplay images obtained by some of the devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m, forexample during surgical procedures. In various aspects, the devices 1a-1 n/2 a-2 m may include, for example, various modules such as animaging module 138 coupled to an endoscope, a generator module 140coupled to an energy-based surgical device, a smoke evacuation module126, a suction/irrigation module 128, a communication module 130, aprocessor module 132, a storage array 134, a surgical device coupled toa display, and/or a non-contact sensor module, among other modulardevices that may be connected to the modular communication hub 203 ofthe surgical data network 201.

In one aspect, the surgical data network 201 may comprise a combinationof network hub(s), network switch(es), and network router(s) connectingthe devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m to the cloud. Any one of or all of thedevices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m coupled to the network hub or network switch maycollect data in real time and transfer the data to cloud computers fordata processing and manipulation. It will be appreciated that cloudcomputing relies on sharing computing resources rather than having localservers or personal devices to handle software applications. The word“cloud” may be used as a metaphor for “the Internet,” although the termis not limited as such. Accordingly, the term “cloud computing” may beused herein to refer to “a type of Internet-based computing,” wheredifferent services—such as servers, storage, and applications—aredelivered to the modular communication hub 203 and/or computer system210 located in the surgical theater (e.g., a fixed, mobile, temporary,or field operating room or space) and to devices connected to themodular communication hub 203 and/or computer system 210 through theInternet. The cloud infrastructure may be maintained by a cloud serviceprovider. In this context, the cloud service provider may be the entitythat coordinates the usage and control of the devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 mlocated in one or more operating theaters. The cloud computing servicescan perform a large number of calculations based on the data gathered bysmart surgical instruments, robots, and other computerized deviceslocated in the operating theater. The hub hardware enables multipledevices or connections to be connected to a computer that communicateswith the cloud computing resources and storage.

Applying cloud computer data processing techniques on the data collectedby the devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m, the surgical data network providesimproved surgical outcomes, reduced costs, and improved patientsatisfaction. At least some of the devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m may beemployed to view tissue states to assess leaks or perfusion of sealedtissue after a tissue sealing and cutting procedure. At least some ofthe devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m may be employed to identify pathology, suchas the effects of diseases, using the cloud-based computing to examinedata including images of samples of body tissue for diagnostic purposes.This includes localization and margin confirmation of tissue andphenotypes. At least some of the devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m may be employedto identify anatomical structures of the body using a variety of sensorsintegrated with imaging devices and techniques such as overlaying imagescaptured by multiple imaging devices. The data gathered by the devices 1a-1 n/2 a-2 m, including image data, may be transferred to the cloud 204or the local computer system 210 or both for data processing andmanipulation including image processing and manipulation. The data maybe analyzed to improve surgical procedure outcomes by determining iffurther treatment, such as the application of endoscopic intervention,emerging technologies, a targeted radiation, targeted intervention, andprecise robotics to tissue-specific sites and conditions, may bepursued. Such data analysis may further employ outcome analyticsprocessing, and using standardized approaches may provide beneficialfeedback to either confirm surgical treatments and the behavior of thesurgeon or suggest modifications to surgical treatments and the behaviorof the surgeon.

In one implementation, the operating theater devices 1 a-1 n may beconnected to the modular communication hub 203 over a wired channel or awireless channel depending on the configuration of the devices 1 a-1 nto a network hub. The network hub 207 may be implemented, in one aspect,as a local network broadcast device that works on the physical layer ofthe Open System Interconnection (OSI) model. The network hub providesconnectivity to the devices 1 a-1 n located in the same operatingtheater network. The network hub 207 collects data in the form ofpackets and sends them to the router in half duplex mode. The networkhub 207 does not store any media access control/internet protocol(MAC/IP) to transfer the device data. Only one of the devices 1 a-1 ncan send data at a time through the network hub 207. The network hub 207has no routing tables or intelligence regarding where to sendinformation and broadcasts all network data across each connection andto a remote server 213 (FIG. 9) over the cloud 204. The network hub 207can detect basic network errors such as collisions, but having allinformation broadcast to multiple ports can be a security risk and causebottlenecks.

In another implementation, the operating theater devices 2 a-2 m may beconnected to a network switch 209 over a wired channel or a wirelesschannel. The network switch 209 works in the data link layer of the OSImodel. The network switch 209 is a multicast device for connecting thedevices 2 a-2 m located in the same operating theater to the network.The network switch 209 sends data in the form of frames to the networkrouter 211 and works in full duplex mode. Multiple devices 2 a-2 m cansend data at the same time through the network switch 209. The networkswitch 209 stores and uses MAC addresses of the devices 2 a-2 m totransfer data.

The network hub 207 and/or the network switch 209 are coupled to thenetwork router 211 for connection to the cloud 204. The network router211 works in the network layer of the OSI model. The network router 211creates a route for transmitting data packets received from the networkhub 207 and/or network switch 211 to cloud-based computer resources forfurther processing and manipulation of the data collected by any one ofor all the devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m. The network router 211 may beemployed to connect two or more different networks located in differentlocations, such as, for example, different operating theaters of thesame healthcare facility or different networks located in differentoperating theaters of different healthcare facilities. The networkrouter 211 sends data in the form of packets to the cloud 204 and worksin full duplex mode. Multiple devices can send data at the same time.The network router 211 uses IP addresses to transfer data.

In one example, the network hub 207 may be implemented as a USB hub,which allows multiple USB devices to be connected to a host computer.The USB hub may expand a single USB port into several tiers so thatthere are more ports available to connect devices to the host systemcomputer. The network hub 207 may include wired or wireless capabilitiesto receive information over a wired channel or a wireless channel. Inone aspect, a wireless USB short-range, high-bandwidth wireless radiocommunication protocol may be employed for communication between thedevices 1 a-1 n and devices 2 a-2 m located in the operating theater.

In other examples, the operating theater devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m maycommunicate to the modular communication hub 203 via Bluetooth wirelesstechnology standard for exchanging data over short distances (usingshort-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz)from fixed and mobile devices and building personal area networks(PANs). In other aspects, the operating theater devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 mmay communicate to the modular communication hub 203 via a number ofwireless or wired communication standards or protocols, including butnot limited to W-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 family),IEEE 802.20, long-term evolution (LTE), and Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+,HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, DECT, and Ethernet derivativesthereof, as well as any other wireless and wired protocols that aredesignated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and beyond. The computing module may include aplurality of communication modules. For instance, a first communicationmodule may be dedicated to shorter-range wireless communications such asWi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a second communication module may be dedicatedto longer-range wireless communications such as GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA,WiMAX, LTE, Ev-DO, and others.

The modular communication hub 203 may serve as a central connection forone or all of the operating theater devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m and handlesa data type known as frames. Frames carry the data generated by thedevices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m. When a frame is received by the modularcommunication hub 203, it is amplified and transmitted to the networkrouter 211, which transfers the data to the cloud computing resources byusing a number of wireless or wired communication standards orprotocols, as described herein.

The modular communication hub 203 can be used as a standalone device orbe connected to compatible network hubs and network switches to form alarger network. The modular communication hub 203 is generally easy toinstall, configure, and maintain, making it a good option for networkingthe operating theater devices 1 a-1 n/2 a-2 m.

FIG. 9 illustrates a computer-implemented interactive surgical system200. The computer-implemented interactive surgical system 200 is similarin many respects to the computer-implemented interactive surgical system100. For example, the computer-implemented interactive surgical system200 includes one or more surgical systems 202, which are similar in manyrespects to the surgical systems 102. Each surgical system 202 includesat least one surgical hub 206 in communication with a cloud 204 that mayinclude a remote server 213. In one aspect, the computer-implementedinteractive surgical system 200 comprises a modular control tower 236connected to multiple operating theater devices such as, for example,intelligent surgical instruments, robots, and other computerized deviceslocated in the operating theater. As shown in FIG. 10, the modularcontrol tower 236 comprises a modular communication hub 203 coupled to acomputer system 210. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 9, themodular control tower 236 is coupled to an imaging module 238 that iscoupled to an endoscope 239, a generator module 240 that is coupled toan energy device 241, a smoke evacuator module 226, a suction/irrigationmodule 228, a communication module 230, a processor module 232, astorage array 234, a smart device/instrument 235 optionally coupled to adisplay 237, and a non-contact sensor module 242. The operating theaterdevices are coupled to cloud computing resources and data storage viathe modular control tower 236. A robot hub 222 also may be connected tothe modular control tower 236 and to the cloud computing resources. Thedevices/instruments 235, visualization systems 208, among others, may becoupled to the modular control tower 236 via wired or wirelesscommunication standards or protocols, as described herein. The modularcontrol tower 236 may be coupled to a hub display 215 (e.g., monitor,screen) to display and overlay images received from the imaging module,device/instrument display, and/or other visualization systems 208. Thehub display also may display data received from devices connected to themodular control tower in conjunction with images and overlaid images.

FIG. 10 illustrates a surgical hub 206 comprising a plurality of modulescoupled to the modular control tower 236. The modular control tower 236comprises a modular communication hub 203, e.g., a network connectivitydevice, and a computer system 210 to provide local processing,visualization, and imaging, for example. As shown in FIG. 10, themodular communication hub 203 may be connected in a tiered configurationto expand the number of modules (e.g., devices) that may be connected tothe modular communication hub 203 and transfer data associated with themodules to the computer system 210, cloud computing resources, or both.As shown in FIG. 10, each of the network hubs/switches in the modularcommunication hub 203 includes three downstream ports and one upstreamport. The upstream network hub/switch is connected to a processor toprovide a communication connection to the cloud computing resources anda local display 217. Communication to the cloud 204 may be made eitherthrough a wired or a wireless communication channel.

The surgical hub 206 employs a non-contact sensor module 242 to measurethe dimensions of the operating theater and generate a map of thesurgical theater using either ultrasonic or laser-type non-contactmeasurement devices. An ultrasound-based non-contact sensor module scansthe operating theater by transmitting a burst of ultrasound andreceiving the echo when it bounces off the perimeter walls of anoperating theater as described under the heading “Surgical Hub SpatialAwareness Within an Operating Room” in U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/611,341, titled INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM,filed Dec. 28, 2017, which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety, in which the sensor module is configured to determine the sizeof the operating theater and to adjust Bluetooth-pairing distancelimits. A laser-based non-contact sensor module scans the operatingtheater by transmitting laser light pulses, receiving laser light pulsesthat bounce off the perimeter walls of the operating theater, andcomparing the phase of the transmitted pulse to the received pulse todetermine the size of the operating theater and to adjust Bluetoothpairing distance limits, for example.

The computer system 210 comprises a processor 244 and a networkinterface 245. The processor 244 is coupled to a communication module247, storage 248, memory 249, non-volatile memory 250, and input/outputinterface 251 via a system bus. The system bus can be any of severaltypes of bus structure(s) including the memory bus or memory controller,a peripheral bus or external bus, and/or a local bus using any varietyof available bus architectures including, but not limited to, 9-bit bus,Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA), Micro-Charmel Architecture(MSA), Extended ISA (EISA), Intelligent Drive Electronics (IDE), VESALocal Bus (VLB), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), USB, AdvancedGraphics Port (AGP), Personal Computer Memory Card InternationalAssociation bus (PCMCIA), Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), orany other proprietary bus.

The processor 244 may be any single-core or multicore processor such asthose known under the trade name ARM Cortex by Texas Instruments. In oneaspect, the processor may be an LM4F230H5QR ARM Cortex-M4F ProcessorCore, available from Texas Instruments, for example, comprising anon-chip memory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or othernon-volatile memory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improveperformance above 40 MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle serial random accessmemory (SRAM), an internal read-only memory (ROM) loaded withStellarisWare® software, a 2 KB electrically erasable programmableread-only memory (EEPROM), and/or one or more pulse width modulation(PWM) modules, one or more quadrature encoder inputs (QEI) analogs, oneor more 12-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with 12 analog inputchannels, details of which are available for the product datasheet.

In one aspect, the processor 244 may comprise a safety controllercomprising two controller-based families such as TMS570 and RM4x, knownunder the trade name Hercules ARM Cortex R4, also by Texas Instruments.The safety controller may be configured specifically for IEC 61508 andISO 26262 safety critical applications, among others, to provideadvanced integrated safety features while delivering scalableperformance, connectivity, and memory options.

The system memory includes volatile memory and non-volatile memory. Thebasic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines totransfer information between elements within the computer system, suchas during start-up, is stored in non-volatile memory. For example, thenon-volatile memory can include ROM, programmable ROM (PROM),electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), EEPROM, or flash memory. Volatilememory includes random-access memory (RAM), which acts as external cachememory. Moreover, RAM is available in many forms such as SRAM, dynamicRAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and directRambus RAM (DRRAM).

The computer system 210 also includes removable/non-removable,volatile/non-volatile computer storage media, such as for example diskstorage. The disk storage includes, but is not limited to, devices likea magnetic disk drive, floppy disk drive, tape drive, Jaz drive, Zipdrive, LS-60 drive, flash memory card, or memory stick. In addition, thedisk storage can include storage media separately or in combination withother storage media including, but not limited to, an optical disc drivesuch as a compact disc ROM device (CD-ROM), compact disc recordabledrive (CD-R Drive), compact disc rewritable drive (CD-RW Drive), or adigital versatile disc ROM drive (DVD-ROM). To facilitate the connectionof the disk storage devices to the system bus, a removable ornon-removable interface may be employed.

It is to be appreciated that the computer system 210 includes softwarethat acts as an intermediary between users and the basic computerresources described in a suitable operating environment. Such softwareincludes an operating system. The operating system, which can be storedon the disk storage, acts to control and allocate resources of thecomputer system. System applications take advantage of the management ofresources by the operating system through program modules and programdata stored either in the system memory or on the disk storage. It is tobe appreciated that various components described herein can beimplemented with various operating systems or combinations of operatingsystems.

A user enters commands or information into the computer system 210through input device(s) coupled to the I/O interface 251. The inputdevices include, but are not limited to, a pointing device such as amouse, trackball, stylus, touch pad, keyboard, microphone, joystick,game pad, satellite dish, scanner, TV tuner card, digital camera,digital video camera, web camera, and the like. These and other inputdevices connect to the processor through the system bus via interfaceport(s). The interface port(s) include, for example, a serial port, aparallel port, a game port, and a USB. The output device(s) use some ofthe same types of ports as input device(s). Thus, for example, a USBport may be used to provide input to the computer system and to outputinformation from the computer system to an output device. An outputadapter is provided to illustrate that there are some output deviceslike monitors, displays, speakers, and printers, among other outputdevices that require special adapters. The output adapters include, byway of illustration and not limitation, video and sound cards thatprovide a means of connection between the output device and the systembus. It should be noted that other devices and/or systems of devices,such as remote computer(s), provide both input and output capabilities.

The computer system 210 can operate in a networked environment usinglogical connections to one or more remote computers, such as cloudcomputer(s), or local computers. The remote cloud computer(s) can be apersonal computer, server, router, network PC, workstation,microprocessor-based appliance, peer device, or other common networknode, and the like, and typically includes many or all of the elementsdescribed relative to the computer system. For purposes of brevity, onlya memory storage device is illustrated with the remote computer(s). Theremote computer(s) is logically connected to the computer system througha network interface and then physically connected via a communicationconnection. The network interface encompasses communication networkssuch as local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). LANtechnologies include Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), CopperDistributed Data Interface (CDDI), Ethernet/IEEE 802.3, Token Ring/IEEE802.5 and the like. WAN technologies include, but are not limited to,point-to-point links, circuit-switching networks like IntegratedServices Digital Networks (ISDN) and variations thereon,packet-switching networks, and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL).

In various aspects, the computer system 210 of FIG. 10, the imagingmodule 238 and/or visualization system 208, and/or the processor module232 of FIGS. 9-10, may comprise an image processor, image processingengine, media processor, or any specialized digital signal processor(DSP) used for the processing of digital images. The image processor mayemploy parallel computing with single instruction, multiple data (SIMD)or multiple instruction, multiple data (MIMD) technologies to increasespeed and efficiency. The digital image processing engine can perform arange of tasks. The image processor may be a system on a chip withmulticore processor architecture.

The communication connection(s) refers to the hardware/software employedto connect the network interface to the bus. While the communicationconnection is shown for illustrative clarity inside the computer system,it can also be external to the computer system 210. Thehardware/software necessary for connection to the network interfaceincludes, for illustrative purposes only, internal and externaltechnologies such as modems, including regular telephone-grade modems,cable modems, and DSL modems, ISDN adapters, and Ethernet cards.

FIG. 11 illustrates a functional block diagram of one aspect of a USBnetwork hub 300 device, according to one aspect of the presentdisclosure. In the illustrated aspect, the USB network hub device 300employs a TUSB2036 integrated circuit hub by Texas Instruments. The USBnetwork hub 300 is a CMOS device that provides an upstream USBtransceiver port 302 and up to three downstream USB transceiver ports304, 306, 308 in compliance with the USB 2.0 specification. The upstreamUSB transceiver port 302 is a differential root data port comprising adifferential data minus (DM0) input paired with a differential data plus(DP0) input. The three downstream USB transceiver ports 304, 306, 308are differential data ports where each port includes differential dataplus (DP1-DP3) outputs paired with differential data minus (DM1-DM3)outputs.

The USB network hub 300 device is implemented with a digital statemachine instead of a microcontroller, and no firmware programming isrequired. Fully compliant USB transceivers are integrated into thecircuit for the upstream USB transceiver port 302 and all downstream USBtransceiver ports 304, 306, 308. The downstream USB transceiver ports304, 306, 308 support both full-speed and low-speed devices byautomatically setting the slew rate according to the speed of the deviceattached to the ports. The USB network hub 300 device may be configuredeither in bus-powered or self-powered mode and includes a hub powerlogic 312 to manage power.

The USB network hub 300 device includes a serial interface engine 310(SIE). The SIE 310 is the front end of the USB network hub 300 hardwareand handles most of the protocol described in chapter 8 of the USBspecification. The SIE 310 typically comprehends signaling up to thetransaction level. The functions that it handles could include: packetrecognition, transaction sequencing, SOP, EOP, RESET, and RESUME signaldetection/generation, clock/data separation, non-return-to-zero invert(NRZI) data encoding/decoding and bit-stuffing, CRC generation andchecking (token and data), packet ID (PID) generation andchecking/decoding, and/or serial-parallel/parallel-serial conversion.The 310 receives a clock input 314 and is coupled to a suspend/resumelogic and frame timer 316 circuit and a hub repeater circuit 318 tocontrol communication between the upstream USB transceiver port 302 andthe downstream USB transceiver ports 304, 306, 308 through port logiccircuits 320, 322, 324. The SIE 310 is coupled to a command decoder 326via interface logic to control commands from a serial EEPROM via aserial EEPROM interface 330.

In various aspects, the USB network hub 300 can connect 127 functionsconfigured in up to six logical layers (tiers) to a single computer.Further, the USB network hub 300 can connect to all peripherals using astandardized four-wire cable that provides both communication and powerdistribution. The power configurations are bus-powered and self-poweredmodes. The USB network hub 300 may be configured to support four modesof power management: a bus-powered hub, with either individual-portpower management or ganged-port power management, and the self-poweredhub, with either individual-port power management or ganged-port powermanagement. In one aspect, using a USB cable, the USB network hub 300,the upstream USB transceiver port 302 is plugged into a USB hostcontroller, and the downstream USB transceiver ports 304, 306, 308 areexposed for connecting USB compatible devices, and so forth.

Surgical Instrument Hardware

FIG. 12 illustrates a logic diagram of a control system 470 of asurgical instrument or tool in accordance with one or more aspects ofthe present disclosure. The system 470 comprises a control circuit. Thecontrol circuit includes a microcontroller 461 comprising a processor462 and a memory 468. One or more of sensors 472, 474, 476, for example,provide real-time feedback to the processor 462. A motor 482, driven bya motor driver 492, operably couples a longitudinally movabledisplacement member to drive the I-beam knife element. A tracking system480 is configured to determine the position of the longitudinallymovable displacement member. The position information is provided to theprocessor 462, which can be programmed or configured to determine theposition of the longitudinally movable drive member as well as theposition of a firing member, firing bar, and I-beam knife element.Additional motors may be provided at the tool driver interface tocontrol I-beam firing, closure tube travel, shaft rotation, andarticulation. A display 473 displays a variety of operating conditionsof the instruments and may include touch screen functionality for datainput. Information displayed on the display 473 may be overlaid withimages acquired via endoscopic imaging modules.

In one aspect, the microcontroller 461 may be any single-core ormulticore processor such as those known under the trade name ARM Cortexby Texas Instruments. In one aspect, the main microcontroller 461 may bean LM4F230H5QR ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core, available from TexasInstruments, for example, comprising an on-chip memory of 256 KBsingle-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatile memory, up to 40 MHz, aprefetch buffer to improve performance above 40 MHz, a 32 KBsingle-cycle SRAM, and internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare® software,a 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analogs, and/orone or more 12-bit ADCs with 12 analog input channels, details of whichare available for the product datasheet.

In one aspect, the microcontroller 461 may comprise a safety controllercomprising two controller-based families such as TMS570 and RM4x, knownunder the trade name Hercules ARM Cortex R4, also by Texas Instruments.The safety controller may be configured specifically for IEC 61508 andISO 26262 safety critical applications, among others, to provideadvanced integrated safety features while delivering scalableperformance, connectivity, and memory options.

The microcontroller 461 may be programmed to perform various functionssuch as precise control over the speed and position of the knife andarticulation systems. In one aspect, the microcontroller 461 includes aprocessor 462 and a memory 468. The electric motor 482 may be a brusheddirect current (DC) motor with a gearbox and mechanical links to anarticulation or knife system. In one aspect, a motor driver 492 may bean A3941 available from Allegro Microsystems, Inc. Other motor driversmay be readily substituted for use in the tracking system 480 comprisingan absolute positioning system. A detailed description of an absolutepositioning system is described in U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2017/0296213, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A SURGICALSTAPLING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT, which published on Oct. 19, 2017, whichis herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The microcontroller 461 may be programmed to provide precise controlover the speed and position of displacement members and articulationsystems. The microcontroller 461 may be configured to compute a responsein the software of the microcontroller 461. The computed response iscompared to a measured response of the actual system to obtain an“observed” response, which is used for actual feedback decisions. Theobserved response is a favorable, tuned value that balances the smooth,continuous nature of the simulated response with the measured response,which can detect outside influences on the system.

In one aspect, the motor 482 may be controlled by the motor driver 492and can be employed by the firing system of the surgical instrument ortool. In various forms, the motor 482 may be a brushed DC driving motorhaving a maximum rotational speed of approximately 25,000 RPM. In otherarrangements, the motor 482 may include a brushless motor, a cordlessmotor, a synchronous motor, a stepper motor, or any other suitableelectric motor. The motor driver 492 may comprise an H-bridge drivercomprising field-effect transistors (FETs), for example. The motor 482can be powered by a power assembly releasably mounted to the handleassembly or tool housing for supplying control power to the surgicalinstrument or tool. The power assembly may comprise a battery which mayinclude a number of battery cells connected in series that can be usedas the power source to power the surgical instrument or tool. In certaincircumstances, the battery cells of the power assembly may bereplaceable and/or rechargeable. In at least one example, the batterycells can be lithium-ion batteries which can be couplable to andseparable from the power assembly.

The motor driver 492 may be an A3941 available from AllegroMicrosystems, Inc. The A3941 492 is a full-bridge controller for usewith external N-channel power metal-oxide semiconductor field-effecttransistors (MOSFETs) specifically designed for inductive loads, such asbrush DC motors. The driver 492 comprises a unique charge pump regulatorthat provides full (>10 V) gate drive for battery voltages down to 7 Vand allows the A3941 to operate with a reduced gate drive, down to 5.5V. A bootstrap capacitor may be employed to provide the above batterysupply voltage required for N-channel MOSFETs. An internal charge pumpfor the high-side drive allows DC (100% duty cycle) operation. The fullbridge can be driven in fast or slow decay modes using diode orsynchronous rectification. In the slow decay mode, current recirculationcan be through the high-side or the lowside FETs. The power FETs areprotected from shoot-through by resistor-adjustable dead time.Integrated diagnostics provide indications of undervoltage,overtemperature, and power bridge faults and can be configured toprotect the power MOSFETs under most short circuit conditions. Othermotor drivers may be readily substituted for use in the tracking system480 comprising an absolute positioning system.

The tracking system 480 comprises a controlled motor drive circuitarrangement comprising a position sensor 472 according to one aspect ofthis disclosure. The position sensor 472 for an absolute positioningsystem provides a unique position signal corresponding to the locationof a displacement member. In one aspect, the displacement memberrepresents a longitudinally movable drive member comprising a rack ofdrive teeth for meshing engagement with a corresponding drive gear of agear reducer assembly. In other aspects, the displacement memberrepresents the firing member, which could be adapted and configured toinclude a rack of drive teeth. In yet another aspect, the displacementmember represents a firing bar or the I-beam, each of which can beadapted and configured to include a rack of drive teeth. Accordingly, asused herein, the term displacement member is used generically to referto any movable member of the surgical instrument or tool such as thedrive member, the firing member, the firing bar, the I-beam, or anyelement that can be displaced. In one aspect, the longitudinally movabledrive member is coupled to the firing member, the firing bar, and theI-beam. Accordingly, the absolute positioning system can, in effect,track the linear displacement of the I-beam by tracking the lineardisplacement of the longitudinally movable drive member. In variousother aspects, the displacement member may be coupled to any positionsensor 472 suitable for measuring linear displacement. Thus, thelongitudinally movable drive member, the firing member, the firing bar,or the I-beam, or combinations thereof, may be coupled to any suitablelinear displacement sensor. Linear displacement sensors may includecontact or non-contact displacement sensors. Linear displacement sensorsmay comprise linear variable differential transformers (LVDT),differential variable reluctance transducers (DVRT), a slidepotentiometer, a magnetic sensing system comprising a movable magnet anda series of linearly arranged Hall effect sensors, a magnetic sensingsystem comprising a fixed magnet and a series of movable, linearlyarranged Hall effect sensors, an optical sensing system comprising amovable light source and a series of linearly arranged photo diodes orphoto detectors, an optical sensing system comprising a fixed lightsource and a series of movable linearly, arranged photo diodes or photodetectors, or any combination thereof.

The electric motor 482 can include a rotatable shaft that operablyinterfaces with a gear assembly that is mounted in meshing engagementwith a set, or rack, of drive teeth on the displacement member. A sensorelement may be operably coupled to a gear assembly such that a singlerevolution of the position sensor 472 element corresponds to some linearlongitudinal translation of the displacement member. An arrangement ofgearing and sensors can be connected to the linear actuator, via a rackand pinion arrangement, or a rotary actuator, via a spur gear or otherconnection. A power source supplies power to the absolute positioningsystem and an output indicator may display the output of the absolutepositioning system. The displacement member represents thelongitudinally movable drive member comprising a rack of drive teethformed thereon for meshing engagement with a corresponding drive gear ofthe gear reducer assembly. The displacement member represents thelongitudinally movable firing member, firing bar, I-beam, orcombinations thereof.

A single revolution of the sensor element associated with the positionsensor 472 is equivalent to a longitudinal linear displacement d1 of theof the displacement member, where d1 is the longitudinal linear distancethat the displacement member moves from point “a” to point “b” after asingle revolution of the sensor element coupled to the displacementmember. The sensor arrangement may be connected via a gear reductionthat results in the position sensor 472 completing one or morerevolutions for the full stroke of the displacement member. The positionsensor 472 may complete multiple revolutions for the full stroke of thedisplacement member.

A series of switches, where n is an integer greater than one, may beemployed alone or in combination with a gear reduction to provide aunique position signal for more than one revolution of the positionsensor 472. The state of the switches are fed back to themicrocontroller 461 that applies logic to determine a unique positionsignal corresponding to the longitudinal linear displacement d1+d2+ . .. d_(n) of the displacement member. The output of the position sensor472 is provided to the microcontroller 461. The position sensor 472 ofthe sensor arrangement may comprise a magnetic sensor, an analog rotarysensor like a potentiometer, or an array of analog Hall-effect elements,which output a unique combination of position signals or values.

The position sensor 472 may comprise any number of magnetic sensingelements, such as, for example, magnetic sensors classified according towhether they measure the total magnetic field or the vector componentsof the magnetic field. The techniques used to produce both types ofmagnetic sensors encompass many aspects of physics and electronics. Thetechnologies used for magnetic field sensing include search coil,fluxgate, optically pumped, nuclear precession, SQUID, Hall-effect,anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance, magnetic tunneljunctions, giant magnetoimpedance, magnetostrictive/piezoelectriccomposites, magnetodiode, magnetotransistor, fiber-optic, magneto-optic,and microelectromechanical systems-based magnetic sensors, among others.

In one aspect, the position sensor 472 for the tracking system 480comprising an absolute positioning system comprises a magnetic rotaryabsolute positioning system. The position sensor 472 may be implementedas an AS5055EQFT single-chip magnetic rotary position sensor availablefrom Austria Microsystems, AG. The position sensor 472 is interfacedwith the microcontroller 461 to provide an absolute positioning system.The position sensor 472 is a low-voltage and low-power component andincludes four Hall-effect elements in an area of the position sensor 472that is located above a magnet. A high-resolution ADC and a smart powermanagement controller are also provided on the chip. A coordinaterotation digital computer (CORDIC) processor, also known as thedigit-by-digit method and Volder's algorithm, is provided to implement asimple and efficient algorithm to calculate hyperbolic and trigonometricfunctions that require only addition, subtraction, bitshift, and tablelookup operations. The angle position, alarm bits, and magnetic fieldinformation are transmitted over a standard serial communicationinterface, such as a serial peripheral interface (SPI) interface, to themicrocontroller 461. The position sensor 472 provides 12 or 14 bits ofresolution. The position sensor 472 may be an AS5055 chip provided in asmall QFN 16-pin 4×4×0.85 mm package.

The tracking system 480 comprising an absolute positioning system maycomprise and/or be programmed to implement a feedback controller, suchas a PID, state feedback, and adaptive controller. A power sourceconverts the signal from the feedback controller into a physical inputto the system: in this case the voltage. Other examples include a PWM ofthe voltage, current, and force. Other sensor(s) may be provided tomeasure physical parameters of the physical system in addition to theposition measured by the position sensor 472. In some aspects, the othersensor(s) can include sensor arrangements such as those described inU.S. Pat. No. 9,345,481, titled STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSORSYSTEM, which issued on May 24, 2016, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety; U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2014/0263552, titled STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM,which published on Sep. 18, 2014, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety; and U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/628,175, titled TECHNIQUES FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF MOTOR VELOCITY OFA SURGICAL STAPLING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT, filed Jun. 20, 2017, whichis herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In a digital signalprocessing system, an absolute positioning system is coupled to adigital data acquisition system where the output of the absolutepositioning system will have a finite resolution and sampling frequency.The absolute positioning system may comprise a compare-and-combinecircuit to combine a computed response with a measured response usingalgorithms, such as a weighted average and a theoretical control loop,that drive the computed response towards the measured response. Thecomputed response of the physical system takes into account propertieslike mass, inertial, viscous friction, inductance resistance, etc., topredict what the states and outputs of the physical system will be byknowing the input.

The absolute positioning system provides an absolute position of thedisplacement member upon power-up of the instrument, without retractingor advancing the displacement member to a reset (zero or home) positionas may be required with conventional rotary encoders that merely countthe number of steps forwards or backwards that the motor 482 has takento infer the position of a device actuator, drive bar, knife, or thelike.

A sensor 474, such as, for example, a strain gauge or a micro-straingauge, is configured to measure one or more parameters of the endeffector, such as, for example, the amplitude of the strain exerted onthe anvil during a clamping operation, which can be indicative of theclosure forces applied to the anvil. The measured strain is converted toa digital signal and provided to the processor 462. Alternatively, or inaddition to the sensor 474, a sensor 476, such as, for example, a loadsensor, can measure the closure force applied by the closure drivesystem to the anvil. The sensor 476, such as, for example, a loadsensor, can measure the firing force applied to an I-beam in a firingstroke of the surgical instrument or tool. The I-beam is configured toengage a wedge sled, which is configured to upwardly cam staple driversto force out staples into deforming contact with an anvil. The I-beamalso includes a sharpened cutting edge that can be used to sever tissueas the I-beam is advanced distally by the firing bar. Alternatively, acurrent sensor 478 can be employed to measure the current drawn by themotor 482. The force required to advance the firing member cancorrespond to the current drawn by the motor 482, for example. Themeasured force is converted to a digital signal and provided to theprocessor 462.

In one form, the strain gauge sensor 474 can be used to measure theforce applied to the tissue by the end effector. A strain gauge can becoupled to the end effector to measure the force on the tissue beingtreated by the end effector. A system for measuring forces applied tothe tissue grasped by the end effector comprises a strain gauge sensor474, such as, for example, a micro-strain gauge, that is configured tomeasure one or more parameters of the end effector, for example. In oneaspect, the strain gauge sensor 474 can measure the amplitude ormagnitude of the strain exerted on a jaw member of an end effectorduring a clamping operation, which can be indicative of the tissuecompression. The measured strain is converted to a digital signal andprovided to a processor 462 of the microcontroller 461. A load sensor476 can measure the force used to operate the knife element, forexample, to cut the tissue captured between the anvil and the staplecartridge. A magnetic field sensor can be employed to measure thethickness of the captured tissue. The measurement of the magnetic fieldsensor also may be converted to a digital signal and provided to theprocessor 462.

The measurements of the tissue compression, the tissue thickness, and/orthe force required to close the end effector on the tissue, asrespectively measured by the sensors 474, 476, can be used by themicrocontroller 461 to characterize the selected position of the firingmember and/or the corresponding value of the speed of the firing member.In one instance, a memory 468 may store a technique, an equation, and/ora lookup table which can be employed by the microcontroller 461 in theassessment.

The control system 470 of the surgical instrument or tool also maycomprise wired or wireless communication circuits to communicate withthe modular communication hub as shown in FIGS. 8-11.

FIG. 13 illustrates a control circuit 500 configured to control aspectsof the surgical instrument or tool according to one aspect of thisdisclosure. The control circuit 500 can be configured to implementvarious processes described herein. The control circuit 500 may comprisea microcontroller comprising one or more processors 502 (e.g.,microprocessor, microcontroller) coupled to at least one memory circuit504. The memory circuit 504 stores machine-executable instructions that,when executed by the processor 502, cause the processor 502 to executemachine instructions to implement various processes described herein.The processor 502 may be any one of a number of single-core or multicoreprocessors known in the art. The memory circuit 504 may comprisevolatile and non-volatile storage media. The processor 502 may includean instruction processing unit 506 and an arithmetic unit 508. Theinstruction processing unit may be configured to receive instructionsfrom the memory circuit 504 of this disclosure.

FIG. 14 illustrates a combinational logic circuit 510 configured tocontrol aspects of the surgical instrument or tool according to oneaspect of this disclosure. The combinational logic circuit 510 can beconfigured to implement various processes described herein. Thecombinational logic circuit 510 may comprise a finite state machinecomprising a combinational logic 512 configured to receive dataassociated with the surgical instrument or tool at an input 514, processthe data by the combinational logic 512, and provide an output 516.

FIG. 15 illustrates a sequential logic circuit 520 configured to controlaspects of the surgical instrument or tool according to one aspect ofthis disclosure. The sequential logic circuit 520 or the combinationallogic 522 can be configured to implement various processes describedherein. The sequential logic circuit 520 may comprise a finite statemachine. The sequential logic circuit 520 may comprise a combinationallogic 522, at least one memory circuit 524, and a clock 529, forexample. The at least one memory circuit 524 can store a current stateof the finite state machine. In certain instances, the sequential logiccircuit 520 may be synchronous or asynchronous. The combinational logic522 is configured to receive data associated with the surgicalinstrument or tool from an input 526, process the data by thecombinational logic 522, and provide an output 528. In other aspects,the circuit may comprise a combination of a processor (e.g., processor502, FIG. 13) and a finite state machine to implement various processesherein. In other aspects, the finite state machine may comprise acombination of a combinational logic circuit (e.g., combinational logiccircuit 510, FIG. 14) and the sequential logic circuit 520.

FIG. 16 illustrates a surgical instrument or tool comprising a pluralityof motors which can be activated to perform various functions. Incertain instances, a first motor can be activated to perform a firstfunction, a second motor can be activated to perform a second function,a third motor can be activated to perform a third function, a fourthmotor can be activated to perform a fourth function, and so on. Incertain instances, the plurality of motors of robotic surgicalinstrument 600 can be individually activated to cause firing, closure,and/or articulation motions in the end effector. The firing, closure,and/or articulation motions can be transmitted to the end effectorthrough a shaft assembly, for example.

In certain instances, the surgical instrument system or tool may includea firing motor 602. The firing motor 602 may be operably coupled to afiring motor drive assembly 604 which can be configured to transmitfiring motions, generated by the motor 602 to the end effector, inparticular to displace the I-beam element. In certain instances, thefiring motions generated by the motor 602 may cause the staples to bedeployed from the staple cartridge into tissue captured by the endeffector and/or the cutting edge of the I-beam element to be advanced tocut the captured tissue, for example. The I-beam element may beretracted by reversing the direction of the motor 602.

In certain instances, the surgical instrument or tool may include aclosure motor 603. The closure motor 603 may be operably coupled to aclosure motor drive assembly 605 which can be configured to transmitclosure motions, generated by the motor 603 to the end effector, inparticular to displace a closure tube to close the anvil and compresstissue between the anvil and the staple cartridge. The closure motionsmay cause the end effector to transition from an open configuration toan approximated configuration to capture tissue, for example. The endeffector may be transitioned to an open position by reversing thedirection of the motor 603.

In certain instances, the surgical instrument or tool may include one ormore articulation motors 606 a, 606 b, for example. The motors 606 a,606 b may be operably coupled to respective articulation motor driveassemblies 608 a, 608 b, which can be configured to transmitarticulation motions generated by the motors 606 a, 606 b to the endeffector. In certain instances, the articulation motions may cause theend effector to articulate relative to the shaft, for example.

As described above, the surgical instrument or tool may include aplurality of motors which may be configured to perform variousindependent functions. In certain instances, the plurality of motors ofthe surgical instrument or tool can be individually or separatelyactivated to perform one or more functions while the other motors remaininactive. For example, the articulation motors 606 a, 606 b can beactivated to cause the end effector to be articulated while the firingmotor 602 remains inactive. Alternatively, the firing motor 602 can beactivated to fire the plurality of staples, and/or to advance thecutting edge, while the articulation motor 606 remains inactive.Furthermore the closure motor 603 may be activated simultaneously withthe firing motor 602 to cause the closure tube and the I-beam element toadvance distally as described in more detail hereinbelow.

In certain instances, the surgical instrument or tool may include acommon control module 610 which can be employed with a plurality ofmotors of the surgical instrument or tool. In certain instances, thecommon control module 610 may accommodate one of the plurality of motorsat a time. For example, the common control module 610 can be couplableto and separable from the plurality of motors of the robotic surgicalinstrument individually. In certain instances, a plurality of the motorsof the surgical instrument or tool may share one or more common controlmodules such as the common control module 610. In certain instances, aplurality of motors of the surgical instrument or tool can beindividually and selectively engaged with the common control module 610.In certain instances, the common control module 610 can be selectivelyswitched from interfacing with one of a plurality of motors of thesurgical instrument or tool to interfacing with another one of theplurality of motors of the surgical instrument or tool.

In at least one example, the common control module 610 can beselectively switched between operable engagement with the articulationmotors 606 a, 606 b and operable engagement with either the firing motor602 or the closure motor 603. In at least one example, as illustrated inFIG. 16, a switch 614 can be moved or transitioned between a pluralityof positions and/or states. In a first position 616, the switch 614 mayelectrically couple the common control module 610 to the firing motor602; in a second position 617, the switch 614 may electrically couplethe common control module 610 to the closure motor 603; in a thirdposition 618 a, the switch 614 may electrically couple the commoncontrol module 610 to the first articulation motor 606 a; and in afourth position 618 b, the switch 614 may electrically couple the commoncontrol module 610 to the second articulation motor 606 b, for example.In certain instances, separate common control modules 610 can beelectrically coupled to the firing motor 602, the closure motor 603, andthe articulations motor 606 a, 606 b at the same time. In certaininstances, the switch 614 may be a mechanical switch, anelectromechanical switch, a solid-state switch, or any suitableswitching mechanism.

Each of the motors 602, 603, 606 a, 606 b may comprise a torque sensorto measure the output torque on the shaft of the motor. The force on anend effector may be sensed in any conventional manner, such as by forcesensors on the outer sides of the jaws or by a torque sensor for themotor actuating the jaws.

In various instances, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the common controlmodule 610 may comprise a motor driver 626 which may comprise one ormore H-Bridge FETs. The motor driver 626 may modulate the powertransmitted from a power source 628 to a motor coupled to the commoncontrol module 610 based on input from a microcontroller 620 (the“controller”), for example. In certain instances, the microcontroller620 can be employed to determine the current drawn by the motor, forexample, while the motor is coupled to the common control module 610, asdescribed above.

In certain instances, the microcontroller 620 may include amicroprocessor 622 (the “processor”) and one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable mediums or memory units 624 (the “memory”). In certaininstances, the memory 624 may store various program instructions, whichwhen executed may cause the processor 622 to perform a plurality offunctions and/or calculations described herein. In certain instances,one or more of the memory units 624 may be coupled to the processor 622,for example.

In certain instances, the power source 628 can be employed to supplypower to the microcontroller 620, for example. In certain instances, thepower source 628 may comprise a battery (or “battery pack” or “powerpack”), such as a lithium-ion battery, for example. In certaininstances, the battery pack may be configured to be releasably mountedto a handle for supplying power to the surgical instrument 600. A numberof battery cells connected in series may be used as the power source628. In certain instances, the power source 628 may be replaceableand/or rechargeable, for example.

In various instances, the processor 622 may control the motor driver 626to control the position, direction of rotation, and/or velocity of amotor that is coupled to the common control module 610. In certaininstances, the processor 622 can signal the motor driver 626 to stopand/or disable a motor that is coupled to the common control module 610.It should be understood that the term “processor” as used hereinincludes any suitable microprocessor, microcontroller, or other basiccomputing device that incorporates the functions of a computer's centralprocessing unit (CPU) on an integrated circuit or, at most, a fewintegrated circuits. The processor is a multipurpose, programmabledevice that accepts digital data as input, processes it according toinstructions stored in its memory, and provides results as output. It isan example of sequential digital logic, as it has internal memory.Processors operate on numbers and symbols represented in the binarynumeral system.

In one instance, the processor 622 may be any single-core or multicoreprocessor such as those known under the trade name ARM Cortex by TexasInstruments. In certain instances, the microcontroller 620 may be an LM4F230H5QR, available from Texas Instruments, for example. In at leastone example, the Texas Instruments LM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4FProcessor Core comprising an on-chip memory of 256 KB single-cycle flashmemory, or other non-volatile memory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer toimprove performance above 40 MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle SRAM, an internalROM loaded with StellarisWare® software, a 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWMmodules, one or more QEI analogs, one or more 12-bit ADCs with 12 analoginput channels, among other features that are readily available for theproduct datasheet. Other microcontrollers may be readily substituted foruse with the module 4410. Accordingly, the present disclosure should notbe limited in this context.

In certain instances, the memory 624 may include program instructionsfor controlling each of the motors of the surgical instrument 600 thatare couplable to the common control module 610. For example, the memory624 may include program instructions for controlling the firing motor602, the closure motor 603, and the articulation motors 606 a, 606 b.Such program instructions may cause the processor 622 to control thefiring, closure, and articulation functions in accordance with inputsfrom algorithms or control programs of the surgical instrument or tool.

In certain instances, one or more mechanisms and/or sensors such as, forexample, sensors 630 can be employed to alert the processor 622 to theprogram instructions that should be used in a particular setting. Forexample, the sensors 630 may alert the processor 622 to use the programinstructions associated with firing, closing, and articulating the endeffector. In certain instances, the sensors 630 may comprise positionsensors which can be employed to sense the position of the switch 614,for example. Accordingly, the processor 622 may use the programinstructions associated with firing the I-beam of the end effector upondetecting, through the sensors 630 for example, that the switch 614 isin the first position 616; the processor 622 may use the programinstructions associated with closing the anvil upon detecting, throughthe sensors 630 for example, that the switch 614 is in the secondposition 617; and the processor 622 may use the program instructionsassociated with articulating the end effector upon detecting, throughthe sensors 630 for example, that the switch 614 is in the third orfourth position 618 a, 618 b.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a robotic surgical instrument 700configured to operate a surgical tool described herein according to oneaspect of this disclosure. The robotic surgical instrument 700 may beprogrammed or configured to control distal/proximal translation of adisplacement member, distal/proximal displacement of a closure tube,shaft rotation, and articulation, either with single or multiplearticulation drive links. In one aspect, the surgical instrument 700 maybe programmed or configured to individually control a firing member, aclosure member, a shaft member, and/or one or more articulation members.The surgical instrument 700 comprises a control circuit 710 configuredto control motor-driven firing members, closure members, shaft members,and/or one or more articulation members.

In one aspect, the robotic surgical instrument 700 comprises a controlcircuit 710 configured to control an anvil 716 and an I-beam 714(including a sharp cutting edge) portion of an end effector 702, aremovable staple cartridge 718, a shaft 740, and one or morearticulation members 742 a, 742 b via a plurality of motors 704 a-704 e.A position sensor 734 may be configured to provide position feedback ofthe I-beam 714 to the control circuit 710. Other sensors 738 may beconfigured to provide feedback to the control circuit 710. Atimer/counter 731 provides timing and counting information to thecontrol circuit 710. An energy source 712 may be provided to operate themotors 704 a-704 e, and a current sensor 736 provides motor currentfeedback to the control circuit 710. The motors 704 a-704 e can beoperated individually by the control circuit 710 in a open-loop orclosed-loop feedback control.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 may comprise one or moremicrocontrollers, microprocessors, or other suitable processors forexecuting instructions that cause the processor or processors to performone or more tasks. In one aspect, a timer/counter 731 provides an outputsignal, such as the elapsed time or a digital count, to the controlcircuit 710 to correlate the position of the I-beam 714 as determined bythe position sensor 734 with the output of the timer/counter 731 suchthat the control circuit 710 can determine the position of the I-beam714 at a specific time (t) relative to a starting position or the time(t) when the I-beam 714 is at a specific position relative to a startingposition. The timer/counter 731 may be configured to measure elapsedtime, count external events, or time external events.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 may be programmed to controlfunctions of the end effector 702 based on one or more tissueconditions. The control circuit 710 may be programmed to sense tissueconditions, such as thickness, either directly or indirectly, asdescribed herein. The control circuit 710 may be programmed to select afiring control program or closure control program based on tissueconditions. A firing control program may describe the distal motion ofthe displacement member. Different firing control programs may beselected to better treat different tissue conditions. For example, whenthicker tissue is present, the control circuit 710 may be programmed totranslate the displacement member at a lower velocity and/or with lowerpower. When thinner tissue is present, the control circuit 710 may beprogrammed to translate the displacement member at a higher velocityand/or with higher power. A closure control program may control theclosure force applied to the tissue by the anvil 716. Other controlprograms control the rotation of the shaft 740 and the articulationmembers 742 a, 742 b.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 may generate motor set pointsignals. The motor set point signals may be provided to various motorcontrollers 708 a-708 e. The motor controllers 708 a-708 e may compriseone or more circuits configured to provide motor drive signals to themotors 704 a-704 e to drive the motors 704 a-704 e as described herein.In some examples, the motors 704 a-704 e may be brushed DC electricmotors. For example, the velocity of the motors 704 a-704 e may beproportional to the respective motor drive signals. In some examples,the motors 704 a-704 e may be brushless DC electric motors, and therespective motor drive signals may comprise a PWM signal provided to oneor more stator windings of the motors 704 a-704 e. Also, in someexamples, the motor controllers 708 a-708 e may be omitted and thecontrol circuit 710 may generate the motor drive signals directly.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 may initially operate each of themotors 704 a-704 e in an open-loop configuration for a first open-loopportion of a stroke of the displacement member. Based on the response ofthe robotic surgical instrument 700 during the open-loop portion of thestroke, the control circuit 710 may select a firing control program in aclosed-loop configuration. The response of the instrument may include atranslation distance of the displacement member during the open-loopportion, a time elapsed during the open-loop portion, the energyprovided to one of the motors 704 a-704 e during the open-loop portion,a sum of pulse widths of a motor drive signal, etc. After the open-loopportion, the control circuit 710 may implement the selected firingcontrol program for a second portion of the displacement member stroke.For example, during a closed-loop portion of the stroke, the controlcircuit 710 may modulate one of the motors 704 a-704 e based ontranslation data describing a position of the displacement member in aclosed-loop manner to translate the displacement member at a constantvelocity.

In one aspect, the motors 704 a-704 e may receive power from an energysource 712. The energy source 712 may be a DC power supply driven by amain alternating current power source, a battery, a super capacitor, orany other suitable energy source. The motors 704 a-704 e may bemechanically coupled to individual movable mechanical elements such asthe I-beam 714, anvil 716, shaft 740, articulation 742 a, andarticulation 742 b via respective transmissions 706 a-706 e. Thetransmissions 706 a-706 e may include one or more gears or other linkagecomponents to couple the motors 704 a-704 e to movable mechanicalelements. A position sensor 734 may sense a position of the I-beam 714.The position sensor 734 may be or include any type of sensor that iscapable of generating position data that indicate a position of theI-beam 714. In some examples, the position sensor 734 may include anencoder configured to provide a series of pulses to the control circuit710 as the I-beam 714 translates distally and proximally. The controlcircuit 710 may track the pulses to determine the position of the I-beam714. Other suitable position sensors may be used, including, forexample, a proximity sensor. Other types of position sensors may provideother signals indicating motion of the I-beam 714. Also, in someexamples, the position sensor 734 may be omitted. Where any of themotors 704 a-704 e is a stepper motor, the control circuit 710 may trackthe position of the I-beam 714 by aggregating the number and directionof steps that the motor 704 has been instructed to execute. The positionsensor 734 may be located in the end effector 702 or at any otherportion of the instrument. The outputs of each of the motors 704 a-704 einclude a torque sensor 744 a-744 e to sense force and have an encoderto sense rotation of the drive shaft.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 is configured to drive a firingmember such as the I-beam 714 portion of the end effector 702. Thecontrol circuit 710 provides a motor set point to a motor control 708 a,which provides a drive signal to the motor 704 a. The output shaft ofthe motor 704 a is coupled to a torque sensor 744 a. The torque sensor744 a is coupled to a transmission 706 a which is coupled to the I-beam714. The transmission 706 a comprises movable mechanical elements suchas rotating elements and a firing member to control the movement of theI-beam 714 distally and proximally along a longitudinal axis of the endeffector 702. In one aspect, the motor 704 a may be coupled to the knifegear assembly, which includes a knife gear reduction set that includes afirst knife drive gear and a second knife drive gear. A torque sensor744 a provides a firing force feedback signal to the control circuit710. The firing force signal represents the force required to fire ordisplace the I-beam 714. A position sensor 734 may be configured toprovide the position of the I-beam 714 along the firing stroke or theposition of the firing member as a feedback signal to the controlcircuit 710. The end effector 702 may include additional sensors 738configured to provide feedback signals to the control circuit 710. Whenready to use, the control circuit 710 may provide a firing signal to themotor control 708 a. In response to the firing signal, the motor 704 amay drive the firing member distally along the longitudinal axis of theend effector 702 from a proximal stroke start position to a stroke endposition distal to the stroke start position. As the firing membertranslates distally, an I-beam 714, with a cutting element positioned ata distal end, advances distally to cut tissue located between the staplecartridge 718 and the anvil 716.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 is configured to drive a closuremember such as the anvil 716 portion of the end effector 702. Thecontrol circuit 710 provides a motor set point to a motor control 708 b,which provides a drive signal to the motor 704 b. The output shaft ofthe motor 704 b is coupled to a torque sensor 744 b. The torque sensor744 b is coupled to a transmission 706 b which is coupled to the anvil716. The transmission 706 b comprises movable mechanical elements suchas rotating elements and a closure member to control the movement of theanvil 716 from the open and closed positions. In one aspect, the motor704 b is coupled to a closure gear assembly, which includes a closurereduction gear set that is supported in meshing engagement with theclosure spur gear. The torque sensor 744 b provides a closure forcefeedback signal to the control circuit 710. The closure force feedbacksignal represents the closure force applied to the anvil 716. Theposition sensor 734 may be configured to provide the position of theclosure member as a feedback signal to the control circuit 710.Additional sensors 738 in the end effector 702 may provide the closureforce feedback signal to the control circuit 710. The pivotable anvil716 is positioned opposite the staple cartridge 718. When ready to use,the control circuit 710 may provide a closure signal to the motorcontrol 708 b. In response to the closure signal, the motor 704 badvances a closure member to grasp tissue between the anvil 716 and thestaple cartridge 718.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 is configured to rotate a shaftmember such as the shaft 740 to rotate the end effector 702. The controlcircuit 710 provides a motor set point to a motor control 708 c, whichprovides a drive signal to the motor 704 c. The output shaft of themotor 704 c is coupled to a torque sensor 744 c. The torque sensor 744 cis coupled to a transmission 706 c which is coupled to the shaft 740.The transmission 706 c comprises movable mechanical elements such asrotating elements to control the rotation of the shaft 740 clockwise orcounterclockwise up to and over 360°. In one aspect, the motor 704 c iscoupled to the rotational transmission assembly, which includes a tubegear segment that is formed on (or attached to) the proximal end of theproximal closure tube for operable engagement by a rotational gearassembly that is operably supported on the tool mounting plate. Thetorque sensor 744 c provides a rotation force feedback signal to thecontrol circuit 710. The rotation force feedback signal represents therotation force applied to the shaft 740. The position sensor 734 may beconfigured to provide the position of the closure member as a feedbacksignal to the control circuit 710. Additional sensors 738 such as ashaft encoder may provide the rotational position of the shaft 740 tothe control circuit 710.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 is configured to articulate theend effector 702. The control circuit 710 provides a motor set point toa motor control 708 d, which provides a drive signal to the motor 704 d.The output shaft of the motor 704 d is coupled to a torque sensor 744 d.The torque sensor 744 d is coupled to a transmission 706 d which iscoupled to an articulation member 742 a. The transmission 706 dcomprises movable mechanical elements such as articulation elements tocontrol the articulation of the end effector 702±65°. In one aspect, themotor 704 d is coupled to an articulation nut, which is rotatablyjournaled on the proximal end portion of the distal spine portion and isrotatably driven thereon by an articulation gear assembly. The torquesensor 744 d provides an articulation force feedback signal to thecontrol circuit 710. The articulation force feedback signal representsthe articulation force applied to the end effector 702. Sensors 738,such as an articulation encoder, may provide the articulation positionof the end effector 702 to the control circuit 710.

In another aspect, the articulation function of the robotic surgicalsystem 700 may comprise two articulation members, or links, 742 a, 742b. These articulation members 742 a, 742 b are driven by separate diskson the robot interface (the rack) which are driven by the two motors 708d, 708 e. When the separate firing motor 704 a is provided, each ofarticulation links 742 a, 742 b can be antagonistically driven withrespect to the other link in order to provide a resistive holding motionand a load to the head when it is not moving and to provide anarticulation motion as the head is articulated. The articulation members742 a, 742 b attach to the head at a fixed radius as the head isrotated. Accordingly, the mechanical advantage of the push-and-pull linkchanges as the head is rotated. This change in the mechanical advantagemay be more pronounced with other articulation link drive systems.

In one aspect, the one or more motors 704 a-704 e may comprise a brushedDC motor with a gearbox and mechanical links to a firing member, closuremember, or articulation member. Another example includes electric motors704 a-704 e that operate the movable mechanical elements such as thedisplacement member, articulation links, closure tube, and shaft. Anoutside influence is an unmeasured, unpredictable influence of thingslike tissue, surrounding bodies, and friction on the physical system.Such outside influence can be referred to as drag, which acts inopposition to one of electric motors 704 a-704 e. The outside influence,such as drag, may cause the operation of the physical system to deviatefrom a desired operation of the physical system.

In one aspect, the position sensor 734 may be implemented as an absolutepositioning system. In one aspect, the position sensor 734 may comprisea magnetic rotary absolute positioning system implemented as anAS5055EQFT single-chip magnetic rotary position sensor available fromAustria Microsystems, AG. The position sensor 734 may interface with thecontrol circuit 710 to provide an absolute positioning system. Theposition may include multiple Hall-effect elements located above amagnet and coupled to a CORDIC processor, also known as thedigit-by-digit method and Volder's algorithm, that is provided toimplement a simple and efficient algorithm to calculate hyperbolic andtrigonometric functions that require only addition, subtraction,bitshift, and table lookup operations.

In one aspect, the control circuit 710 may be in communication with oneor more sensors 738. The sensors 738 may be positioned on the endeffector 702 and adapted to operate with the robotic surgical instrument700 to measure the various derived parameters such as the gap distanceversus time, tissue compression versus time, and anvil strain versustime. The sensors 738 may comprise a magnetic sensor, a magnetic fieldsensor, a strain gauge, a load cell, a pressure sensor, a force sensor,a torque sensor, an inductive sensor such as an eddy current sensor, aresistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, and/or anyother suitable sensor for measuring one or more parameters of the endeffector 702. The sensors 738 may include one or more sensors. Thesensors 738 may be located on the staple cartridge 718 deck to determinetissue location using segmented electrodes. The torque sensors 744 a-744e may be configured to sense force such as firing force, closure force,and/or articulation force, among others. Accordingly, the controlcircuit 710 can sense (1) the closure load experienced by the distalclosure tube and its position, (2) the firing member at the rack and itsposition, (3) what portion of the staple cartridge 718 has tissue on it,and (4) the load and position on both articulation rods.

In one aspect, the one or more sensors 738 may comprise a strain gauge,such as a micro-strain gauge, configured to measure the magnitude of thestrain in the anvil 716 during a clamped condition. The strain gaugeprovides an electrical signal whose amplitude varies with the magnitudeof the strain. The sensors 738 may comprise a pressure sensor configuredto detect a pressure generated by the presence of compressed tissuebetween the anvil 716 and the staple cartridge 718. The sensors 738 maybe configured to detect impedance of a tissue section located betweenthe anvil 716 and the staple cartridge 718 that is indicative of thethickness and/or fullness of tissue located therebetween.

In one aspect, the sensors 738 may be implemented as one or more limitswitches, electromechanical devices, solid-state switches, Hall-effectdevices, magneto-resistive (MR) devices, giant magneto-resistive (GMR)devices, magnetometers, among others. In other implementations, thesensors 738 may be implemented as solid-state switches that operateunder the influence of light, such as optical sensors, IR sensors,ultraviolet sensors, among others. Still, the switches may besolid-state devices such as transistors (e.g., FET, junction FET,MOSFET, bipolar, and the like). In other implementations, the sensors738 may include electrical conductorless switches, ultrasonic switches,accelerometers, and inertial sensors, among others.

In one aspect, the sensors 738 may be configured to measure forcesexerted on the anvil 716 by the closure drive system. For example, oneor more sensors 738 can be at an interaction point between the closuretube and the anvil 716 to detect the closure forces applied by theclosure tube to the anvil 716. The forces exerted on the anvil 716 canbe representative of the tissue compression experienced by the tissuesection captured between the anvil 716 and the staple cartridge 718. Theone or more sensors 738 can be positioned at various interaction pointsalong the closure drive system to detect the closure forces applied tothe anvil 716 by the closure drive system. The one or more sensors 738may be sampled in real time during a clamping operation by the processorof the control circuit 710. The control circuit 710 receives real-timesample measurements to provide and analyze time-based information andassess, in real time, closure forces applied to the anvil 716.

In one aspect, a current sensor 736 can be employed to measure thecurrent drawn by each of the motors 704 a-704 e. The force required toadvance any of the movable mechanical elements such as the I-beam 714corresponds to the current drawn by one of the motors 704 a-704 e. Theforce is converted to a digital signal and provided to the controlcircuit 710. The control circuit 710 can be configured to simulate theresponse of the actual system of the instrument in the software of thecontroller. A displacement member can be actuated to move an I-beam 714in the end effector 702 at or near a target velocity. The roboticsurgical instrument 700 can include a feedback controller, which can beone of any feedback controllers, including, but not limited to a PID, astate feedback, a linear-quadratic (LQR), and/or an adaptive controller,for example. The robotic surgical instrument 700 can include a powersource to convert the signal from the feedback controller into aphysical input such as case voltage, PWM voltage, frequency modulatedvoltage, current, torque, and/or force, for example. Additional detailsare disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/636,829, titledCLOSED LOOP VELOCITY CONTROL TECHNIQUES FOR ROBOTIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT,filed Jun. 29, 2017, which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIG. 18 illustrates a block diagram of a surgical instrument 750programmed to control the distal translation of a displacement memberaccording to one aspect of this disclosure. In one aspect, the surgicalinstrument 750 is programmed to control the distal translation of adisplacement member such as the I-beam 764. The surgical instrument 750comprises an end effector 752 that may comprise an anvil 766, an I-beam764 (including a sharp cutting edge), and a removable staple cartridge768.

The position, movement, displacement, and/or translation of a lineardisplacement member, such as the I-beam 764, can be measured by anabsolute positioning system, sensor arrangement, and position sensor784. Because the I-beam 764 is coupled to a longitudinally movable drivemember, the position of the I-beam 764 can be determined by measuringthe position of the longitudinally movable drive member employing theposition sensor 784. Accordingly, in the following description, theposition, displacement, and/or translation of the I-beam 764 can beachieved by the position sensor 784 as described herein. A controlcircuit 760 may be programmed to control the translation of thedisplacement member, such as the I-beam 764. The control circuit 760, insome examples, may comprise one or more microcontrollers,microprocessors, or other suitable processors for executing instructionsthat cause the processor or processors to control the displacementmember, e.g., the I-beam 764, in the manner described. In one aspect, atimer/counter 781 provides an output signal, such as the elapsed time ora digital count, to the control circuit 760 to correlate the position ofthe I-beam 764 as determined by the position sensor 784 with the outputof the timer/counter 781 such that the control circuit 760 can determinethe position of the I-beam 764 at a specific time (t) relative to astarting position. The timer/counter 781 may be configured to measureelapsed time, count external events, or time external events.

The control circuit 760 may generate a motor set point signal 772. Themotor set point signal 772 may be provided to a motor controller 758.The motor controller 758 may comprise one or more circuits configured toprovide a motor drive signal 774 to the motor 754 to drive the motor 754as described herein. In some examples, the motor 754 may be a brushed DCelectric motor. For example, the velocity of the motor 754 may beproportional to the motor drive signal 774. In some examples, the motor754 may be a brushless DC electric motor and the motor drive signal 774may comprise a PWM signal provided to one or more stator windings of themotor 754. Also, in some examples, the motor controller 758 may beomitted, and the control circuit 760 may generate the motor drive signal774 directly.

The motor 754 may receive power from an energy source 762. The energysource 762 may be or include a battery, a super capacitor, or any othersuitable energy source. The motor 754 may be mechanically coupled to theI-beam 764 via a transmission 756. The transmission 756 may include oneor more gears or other linkage components to couple the motor 754 to theI-beam 764. A position sensor 784 may sense a position of the I-beam764. The position sensor 784 may be or include any type of sensor thatis capable of generating position data that indicate a position of theI-beam 764. In some examples, the position sensor 784 may include anencoder configured to provide a series of pulses to the control circuit760 as the I-beam 764 translates distally and proximally. The controlcircuit 760 may track the pulses to determine the position of the I-beam764. Other suitable position sensors may be used, including, forexample, a proximity sensor. Other types of position sensors may provideother signals indicating motion of the I-beam 764. Also, in someexamples, the position sensor 784 may be omitted. Where the motor 754 isa stepper motor, the control circuit 760 may track the position of theI-beam 764 by aggregating the number and direction of steps that themotor 754 has been instructed to execute. The position sensor 784 may belocated in the end effector 752 or at any other portion of theinstrument.

The control circuit 760 may be in communication with one or more sensors788. The sensors 788 may be positioned on the end effector 752 andadapted to operate with the surgical instrument 750 to measure thevarious derived parameters such as gap distance versus time, tissuecompression versus time, and anvil strain versus time. The sensors 788may comprise a magnetic sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a strain gauge,a pressure sensor, a force sensor, an inductive sensor such as an eddycurrent sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an opticalsensor, and/or any other suitable sensor for measuring one or moreparameters of the end effector 752. The sensors 788 may include one ormore sensors.

The one or more sensors 788 may comprise a strain gauge, such as amicro-strain gauge, configured to measure the magnitude of the strain inthe anvil 766 during a clamped condition. The strain gauge provides anelectrical signal whose amplitude varies with the magnitude of thestrain. The sensors 788 may comprise a pressure sensor configured todetect a pressure generated by the presence of compressed tissue betweenthe anvil 766 and the staple cartridge 768. The sensors 788 may beconfigured to detect impedance of a tissue section located between theanvil 766 and the staple cartridge 768 that is indicative of thethickness and/or fullness of tissue located therebetween.

The sensors 788 may be is configured to measure forces exerted on theanvil 766 by a closure drive system. For example, one or more sensors788 can be at an interaction point between a closure tube and the anvil766 to detect the closure forces applied by a closure tube to the anvil766. The forces exerted on the anvil 766 can be representative of thetissue compression experienced by the tissue section captured betweenthe anvil 766 and the staple cartridge 768. The one or more sensors 788can be positioned at various interaction points along the closure drivesystem to detect the closure forces applied to the anvil 766 by theclosure drive system. The one or more sensors 788 may be sampled in realtime during a clamping operation by a processor of the control circuit760. The control circuit 760 receives real-time sample measurements toprovide and analyze time-based information and assess, in real time,closure forces applied to the anvil 766.

A current sensor 786 can be employed to measure the current drawn by themotor 754. The force required to advance the I-beam 764 corresponds tothe current drawn by the motor 754. The force is converted to a digitalsignal and provided to the control circuit 760.

The control circuit 760 can be configured to simulate the response ofthe actual system of the instrument in the software of the controller. Adisplacement member can be actuated to move an I-beam 764 in the endeffector 752 at or near a target velocity. The surgical instrument 750can include a feedback controller, which can be one of any feedbackcontrollers, including, but not limited to a PID, a state feedback, LQR,and/or an adaptive controller, for example. The surgical instrument 750can include a power source to convert the signal from the feedbackcontroller into a physical input such as case voltage, PWM voltage,frequency modulated voltage, current, torque, and/or force, for example.

The actual drive system of the surgical instrument 750 is configured todrive the displacement member, cutting member, or I-beam 764, by abrushed DC motor with gearbox and mechanical links to an articulationand/or knife system. Another example is the electric motor 754 thatoperates the displacement member and the articulation driver, forexample, of an interchangeable shaft assembly. An outside influence isan unmeasured, unpredictable influence of things like tissue,surrounding bodies and friction on the physical system. Such outsideinfluence can be referred to as drag which acts in opposition to theelectric motor 754. The outside influence, such as drag, may cause theoperation of the physical system to deviate from a desired operation ofthe physical system.

Various example aspects are directed to a surgical instrument 750comprising an end effector 752 with motor-driven surgical stapling andcutting implements. For example, a motor 754 may drive a displacementmember distally and proximally along a longitudinal axis of the endeffector 752. The end effector 752 may comprise a pivotable anvil 766and, when configured for use, a staple cartridge 768 positioned oppositethe anvil 766. A clinician may grasp tissue between the anvil 766 andthe staple cartridge 768, as described herein. When ready to use theinstrument 750, the clinician may provide a firing signal, for exampleby depressing a trigger of the instrument 750. In response to the firingsignal, the motor 754 may drive the displacement member distally alongthe longitudinal axis of the end effector 752 from a proximal strokebegin position to a stroke end position distal of the stroke beginposition. As the displacement member translates distally, an I-beam 764with a cutting element positioned at a distal end, may cut the tissuebetween the staple cartridge 768 and the anvil 766.

In various examples, the surgical instrument 750 may comprise a controlcircuit 760 programmed to control the distal translation of thedisplacement member, such as the I-beam 764, for example, based on oneor more tissue conditions. The control circuit 760 may be programmed tosense tissue conditions, such as thickness, either directly orindirectly, as described herein. The control circuit 760 may beprogrammed to select a firing control program based on tissueconditions. A firing control program may describe the distal motion ofthe displacement member. Different firing control programs may beselected to better treat different tissue conditions. For example, whenthicker tissue is present, the control circuit 760 may be programmed totranslate the displacement member at a lower velocity and/or with lowerpower. When thinner tissue is present, the control circuit 760 may beprogrammed to translate the displacement member at a higher velocityand/or with higher power.

In some examples, the control circuit 760 may initially operate themotor 754 in an open loop configuration for a first open loop portion ofa stroke of the displacement member. Based on a response of theinstrument 750 during the open loop portion of the stroke, the controlcircuit 760 may select a firing control program. The response of theinstrument may include, a translation distance of the displacementmember during the open loop portion, a time elapsed during the open loopportion, energy provided to the motor 754 during the open loop portion,a sum of pulse widths of a motor drive signal, etc. After the open loopportion, the control circuit 760 may implement the selected firingcontrol program for a second portion of the displacement member stroke.For example, during the closed loop portion of the stroke, the controlcircuit 760 may modulate the motor 754 based on translation datadescribing a position of the displacement member in a closed loop mannerto translate the displacement member at a constant velocity. Additionaldetails are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/720,852,titled SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A DISPLAY OF A SURGICALINSTRUMENT, filed Sep. 29, 2017, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of a surgical instrument 790 configuredto control various functions according to one aspect of this disclosure.In one aspect, the surgical instrument 790 is programmed to controldistal translation of a displacement member such as the I-beam 764. Thesurgical instrument 790 comprises an end effector 792 that may comprisean anvil 766, an I-beam 764, and a removable staple cartridge 768 whichmay be interchanged with an RF cartridge 796 (shown in dashed line).

In one aspect, sensors 788 may be implemented as a limit switch,electromechanical device, solid-state switches, Hall-effect devices, MRdevices, GMR devices, magnetometers, among others. In otherimplementations, the sensors 638 may be solid-state switches thatoperate under the influence of light, such as optical sensors, IRsensors, ultraviolet sensors, among others. Still, the switches may besolid-state devices such as transistors (e.g., FET, junction FET,MOSFET, bipolar, and the like). In other implementations, the sensors788 may include electrical conductorless switches, ultrasonic switches,accelerometers, and inertial sensors, among others.

In one aspect, the position sensor 784 may be implemented as an absolutepositioning system comprising a magnetic rotary absolute positioningsystem implemented as an AS5055EQFT single-chip magnetic rotary positionsensor available from Austria Microsystems, AG. The position sensor 784may interface with the control circuit 760 to provide an absolutepositioning system. The position may include multiple Hall-effectelements located above a magnet and coupled to a CORDIC processor, alsoknown as the digit-by-digit method and Volder's algorithm, that isprovided to implement a simple and efficient algorithm to calculatehyperbolic and trigonometric functions that require only addition,subtraction, bitshift, and table lookup operations.

In one aspect, the I-beam 764 may be implemented as a knife membercomprising a knife body that operably supports a tissue cutting bladethereon and may further include anvil engagement tabs or features andchannel engagement features or a foot. In one aspect, the staplecartridge 768 may be implemented as a standard (mechanical) surgicalfastener cartridge. In one aspect, the RF cartridge 796 may beimplemented as an RF cartridge. These and other sensors arrangements aredescribed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/628,175,titled TECHNIQUES FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF MOTOR VELOCITY OF A SURGICALSTAPLING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT, filed Jun. 20, 2017, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

The position, movement, displacement, and/or translation of a lineardisplacement member, such as the I-beam 764, can be measured by anabsolute positioning system, sensor arrangement, and position sensorrepresented as position sensor 784. Because the I-beam 764 is coupled tothe longitudinally movable drive member, the position of the I-beam 764can be determined by measuring the position of the longitudinallymovable drive member employing the position sensor 784. Accordingly, inthe following description, the position, displacement, and/ortranslation of the I-beam 764 can be achieved by the position sensor 784as described herein. A control circuit 760 may be programmed to controlthe translation of the displacement member, such as the I-beam 764, asdescribed herein. The control circuit 760, in some examples, maycomprise one or more microcontrollers, microprocessors, or othersuitable processors for executing instructions that cause the processoror processors to control the displacement member, e.g., the I-beam 764,in the manner described. In one aspect, a timer/counter 781 provides anoutput signal, such as the elapsed time or a digital count, to thecontrol circuit 760 to correlate the position of the I-beam 764 asdetermined by the position sensor 784 with the output of thetimer/counter 781 such that the control circuit 760 can determine theposition of the I-beam 764 at a specific time (t) relative to a startingposition. The timer/counter 781 may be configured to measure elapsedtime, count external events, or time external events.

The control circuit 760 may generate a motor set point signal 772. Themotor set point signal 772 may be provided to a motor controller 758.The motor controller 758 may comprise one or more circuits configured toprovide a motor drive signal 774 to the motor 754 to drive the motor 754as described herein. In some examples, the motor 754 may be a brushed DCelectric motor. For example, the velocity of the motor 754 may beproportional to the motor drive signal 774. In some examples, the motor754 may be a brushless DC electric motor and the motor drive signal 774may comprise a PWM signal provided to one or more stator windings of themotor 754. Also, in some examples, the motor controller 758 may beomitted, and the control circuit 760 may generate the motor drive signal774 directly.

The motor 754 may receive power from an energy source 762. The energysource 762 may be or include a battery, a super capacitor, or any othersuitable energy source. The motor 754 may be mechanically coupled to theI-beam 764 via a transmission 756. The transmission 756 may include oneor more gears or other linkage components to couple the motor 754 to theI-beam 764. A position sensor 784 may sense a position of the I-beam764. The position sensor 784 may be or include any type of sensor thatis capable of generating position data that indicate a position of theI-beam 764. In some examples, the position sensor 784 may include anencoder configured to provide a series of pulses to the control circuit760 as the I-beam 764 translates distally and proximally. The controlcircuit 760 may track the pulses to determine the position of the I-beam764. Other suitable position sensors may be used, including, forexample, a proximity sensor. Other types of position sensors may provideother signals indicating motion of the I-beam 764. Also, in someexamples, the position sensor 784 may be omitted. Where the motor 754 isa stepper motor, the control circuit 760 may track the position of theI-beam 764 by aggregating the number and direction of steps that themotor has been instructed to execute. The position sensor 784 may belocated in the end effector 792 or at any other portion of theinstrument.

The control circuit 760 may be in communication with one or more sensors788. The sensors 788 may be positioned on the end effector 792 andadapted to operate with the surgical instrument 790 to measure thevarious derived parameters such as gap distance versus time, tissuecompression versus time, and anvil strain versus time. The sensors 788may comprise a magnetic sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a strain gauge,a pressure sensor, a force sensor, an inductive sensor such as an eddycurrent sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an opticalsensor, and/or any other suitable sensor for measuring one or moreparameters of the end effector 792. The sensors 788 may include one ormore sensors.

The one or more sensors 788 may comprise a strain gauge, such as amicro-strain gauge, configured to measure the magnitude of the strain inthe anvil 766 during a clamped condition. The strain gauge provides anelectrical signal whose amplitude varies with the magnitude of thestrain. The sensors 788 may comprise a pressure sensor configured todetect a pressure generated by the presence of compressed tissue betweenthe anvil 766 and the staple cartridge 768. The sensors 788 may beconfigured to detect impedance of a tissue section located between theanvil 766 and the staple cartridge 768 that is indicative of thethickness and/or fullness of tissue located therebetween.

The sensors 788 may be is configured to measure forces exerted on theanvil 766 by the closure drive system. For example, one or more sensors788 can be at an interaction point between a closure tube and the anvil766 to detect the closure forces applied by a closure tube to the anvil766. The forces exerted on the anvil 766 can be representative of thetissue compression experienced by the tissue section captured betweenthe anvil 766 and the staple cartridge 768. The one or more sensors 788can be positioned at various interaction points along the closure drivesystem to detect the closure forces applied to the anvil 766 by theclosure drive system. The one or more sensors 788 may be sampled in realtime during a clamping operation by a processor portion of the controlcircuit 760. The control circuit 760 receives real-time samplemeasurements to provide and analyze time-based information and assess,in real time, closure forces applied to the anvil 766.

A current sensor 786 can be employed to measure the current drawn by themotor 754. The force required to advance the I-beam 764 corresponds tothe current drawn by the motor 754. The force is converted to a digitalsignal and provided to the control circuit 760.

An RF energy source 794 is coupled to the end effector 792 and isapplied to the RF cartridge 796 when the RF cartridge 796 is loaded inthe end effector 792 in place of the staple cartridge 768. The controlcircuit 760 controls the delivery of the RF energy to the RF cartridge796.

Additional details are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/636,096, titled SURGICAL SYSTEM COUPLABLE WITH STAPLE CARTRIDGE ANDRADIO FREQUENCY CARTRIDGE, AND METHOD OF USING SAME, filed Jun. 28,2017, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Generator Hardware

FIG. 20 is a simplified block diagram of a generator 800 configured toprovide inductorless tuning, among other benefits. Additional details ofthe generator 800 are described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,060,775, titledSURGICAL GENERATOR FOR ULTRASONIC AND ELECTROSURGICAL DEVICES, whichissued on Jun. 23, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference inits entirety. The generator 800 may comprise a patient isolated stage802 in communication with a non-isolated stage 804 via a powertransformer 806. A secondary winding 808 of the power transformer 806 iscontained in the isolated stage 802 and may comprise a tappedconfiguration (e.g., a center-tapped or a non-center-tappedconfiguration) to define drive signal outputs 810 a, 810 b, 810 c fordelivering drive signals to different surgical instruments, such as, forexample, an ultrasonic surgical instrument, an RF electrosurgicalinstrument, and a multifunction surgical instrument which includesultrasonic and RF energy modes that can be delivered alone orsimultaneously. In particular, drive signal outputs 810 a, 810 c mayoutput an ultrasonic drive signal (e.g., a 420V root-mean-square (RMS)drive signal) to an ultrasonic surgical instrument, and drive signaloutputs 810 b, 810 c may output an RF electrosurgical drive signal(e.g., a 100V RMS drive signal) to an RF electrosurgical instrument,with the drive signal output 810 b corresponding to the center tap ofthe power transformer 806.

In certain forms, the ultrasonic and electrosurgical drive signals maybe provided simultaneously to distinct surgical instruments and/or to asingle surgical instrument, such as the multifunction surgicalinstrument, having the capability to deliver both ultrasonic andelectrosurgical energy to tissue. It will be appreciated that theelectrosurgical signal, provided either to a dedicated electrosurgicalinstrument and/or to a combined multifunction ultrasonic/electrosurgicalinstrument may be either a therapeutic or sub-therapeutic level signalwhere the sub-therapeutic signal can be used, for example, to monitortissue or instrument conditions and provide feedback to the generator.For example, the ultrasonic and RF signals can be delivered separatelyor simultaneously from a generator with a single output port in order toprovide the desired output signal to the surgical instrument, as will bediscussed in more detail below. Accordingly, the generator can combinethe ultrasonic and electrosurgical RF energies and deliver the combinedenergies to the multifunction ultrasonic/electrosurgical instrument.Bipolar electrodes can be placed on one or both jaws of the endeffector. One jaw may be driven by ultrasonic energy in addition toelectrosurgical RF energy, working simultaneously. The ultrasonic energymay be employed to dissect tissue, while the electrosurgical RF energymay be employed for vessel sealing.

The non-isolated stage 804 may comprise a power amplifier 812 having anoutput connected to a primary winding 814 of the power transformer 806.In certain forms, the power amplifier 812 may comprise a push-pullamplifier. For example, the non-isolated stage 804 may further comprisea logic device 816 for supplying a digital output to a digital-to-analogconverter (DAC) circuit 818, which in turn supplies a correspondinganalog signal to an input of the power amplifier 812. In certain forms,the logic device 816 may comprise a programmable gate array (PGA), aFPGA, programmable logic device (PLD), among other logic circuits, forexample. The logic device 816, by virtue of controlling the input of thepower amplifier 812 via the DAC circuit 818, may therefore control anyof a number of parameters (e.g., frequency, waveform shape, waveformamplitude) of drive signals appearing at the drive signal outputs 810 a,810 b, 810 c. In certain forms and as discussed below, the logic device816, in conjunction with a processor (e.g., a DSP discussed below), mayimplement a number of DSP-based and/or other control algorithms tocontrol parameters of the drive signals output by the generator 800.

Power may be supplied to a power rail of the power amplifier 812 by aswitch-mode regulator 820, e.g., a power converter. In certain forms,the switch-mode regulator 820 may comprise an adjustable buck regulator,for example. The non-isolated stage 804 may further comprise a firstprocessor 822, which in one form may comprise a DSP processor such as anAnalog Devices ADSP-21469 SHARC DSP, available from Analog Devices,Norwood, Mass., for example, although in various forms any suitableprocessor may be employed. In certain forms the DSP processor 822 maycontrol the operation of the switch-mode regulator 820 responsive tovoltage feedback data received from the power amplifier 812 by the DSPprocessor 822 via an ADC circuit 824. In one form, for example, the DSPprocessor 822 may receive as input, via the ADC circuit 824, thewaveform envelope of a signal (e.g., an RF signal) being amplified bythe power amplifier 812. The DSP processor 822 may then control theswitch-mode regulator 820 (e.g., via a PWM output) such that the railvoltage supplied to the power amplifier 812 tracks the waveform envelopeof the amplified signal. By dynamically modulating the rail voltage ofthe power amplifier 812 based on the waveform envelope, the efficiencyof the power amplifier 812 may be significantly improved relative to afixed rail voltage amplifier schemes.

In certain forms, the logic device 816, in conjunction with the DSPprocessor 822, may implement a digital synthesis circuit such as adirect digital synthesizer control scheme to control the waveform shape,frequency, and/or amplitude of drive signals output by the generator800. In one form, for example, the logic device 816 may implement a DDScontrol algorithm by recalling waveform samples stored in a dynamicallyupdated lookup table (LUT), such as a RAM LUT, which may be embedded inan FPGA. This control algorithm is particularly useful for ultrasonicapplications in which an ultrasonic transducer, such as an ultrasonictransducer, may be driven by a clean sinusoidal current at its resonantfrequency. Because other frequencies may excite parasitic resonances,minimizing or reducing the total distortion of the motional branchcurrent may correspondingly minimize or reduce undesirable resonanceeffects. Because the waveform shape of a drive signal output by thegenerator 800 is impacted by various sources of distortion present inthe output drive circuit (e.g., the power transformer 806, the poweramplifier 812), voltage and current feedback data based on the drivesignal may be input into an algorithm, such as an error controlalgorithm implemented by the DSP processor 822, which compensates fordistortion by suitably pre-distorting or modifying the waveform samplesstored in the LUT on a dynamic, ongoing basis (e.g., in real time). Inone form, the amount or degree of pre-distortion applied to the LUTsamples may be based on the error between a computed motional branchcurrent and a desired current waveform shape, with the error beingdetermined on a sample-by-sample basis. In this way, the pre-distortedLUT samples, when processed through the drive circuit, may result in amotional branch drive signal having the desired waveform shape (e.g.,sinusoidal) for optimally driving the ultrasonic transducer. In suchforms, the LUT waveform samples will therefore not represent the desiredwaveform shape of the drive signal, but rather the waveform shape thatis required to ultimately produce the desired waveform shape of themotional branch drive signal when distortion effects are taken intoaccount.

The non-isolated stage 804 may further comprise a first ADC circuit 826and a second ADC circuit 828 coupled to the output of the powertransformer 806 via respective isolation transformers 830, 832 forrespectively sampling the voltage and current of drive signals output bythe generator 800. In certain forms, the ADC circuits 826, 828 may beconfigured to sample at high speeds (e.g., 80 mega samples per second(MSPS)) to enable oversampling of the drive signals. In one form, forexample, the sampling speed of the ADC circuits 826, 828 may enableapproximately 200× (depending on frequency) oversampling of the drivesignals. In certain forms, the sampling operations of the ADC circuit826, 828 may be performed by a single ADC circuit receiving inputvoltage and current signals via a two-way multiplexer. The use ofhigh-speed sampling in forms of the generator 800 may enable, amongother things, calculation of the complex current flowing through themotional branch (which may be used in certain forms to implementDDS-based waveform shape control described above), accurate digitalfiltering of the sampled signals, and calculation of real powerconsumption with a high degree of precision. Voltage and currentfeedback data output by the ADC circuits 826, 828 may be received andprocessed (e.g., first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer, multiplexer) by thelogic device 816 and stored in data memory for subsequent retrieval by,for example, the DSP processor 822. As noted above, voltage and currentfeedback data may be used as input to an algorithm for pre-distorting ormodifying LUT waveform samples on a dynamic and ongoing basis. Incertain forms, this may require each stored voltage and current feedbackdata pair to be indexed based on, or otherwise associated with, acorresponding LUT sample that was output by the logic device 816 whenthe voltage and current feedback data pair was acquired. Synchronizationof the LUT samples and the voltage and current feedback data in thismanner contributes to the correct timing and stability of thepre-distortion algorithm.

In certain forms, the voltage and current feedback data may be used tocontrol the frequency and/or amplitude (e.g., current amplitude) of thedrive signals. In one form, for example, voltage and current feedbackdata may be used to determine impedance phase. The frequency of thedrive signal may then be controlled to minimize or reduce the differencebetween the determined impedance phase and an impedance phase setpoint(e.g., 0°), thereby minimizing or reducing the effects of harmonicdistortion and correspondingly enhancing impedance phase measurementaccuracy. The determination of phase impedance and a frequency controlsignal may be implemented in the DSP processor 822, for example, withthe frequency control signal being supplied as input to a DDS controlalgorithm implemented by the logic device 816.

In another form, for example, the current feedback data may be monitoredin order to maintain the current amplitude of the drive signal at acurrent amplitude setpoint. The current amplitude setpoint may bespecified directly or determined indirectly based on specified voltageamplitude and power setpoints. In certain forms, control of the currentamplitude may be implemented by control algorithm, such as, for example,a proportional—integral—derivative (PID) control algorithm, in the DSPprocessor 822. Variables controlled by the control algorithm to suitablycontrol the current amplitude of the drive signal may include, forexample, the scaling of the LUT waveform samples stored in the logicdevice 816 and/or the full-scale output voltage of the DAC circuit 818(which supplies the input to the power amplifier 812) via a DAC circuit834.

The non-isolated stage 804 may further comprise a second processor 836for providing, among other things user interface (UI) functionality. Inone form, the UI processor 836 may comprise an Atmel AT91SAM9263processor having an ARM 926EJ-S core, available from Atmel Corporation,San Jose, Calif., for example. Examples of UI functionality supported bythe UI processor 836 may include audible and visual user feedback,communication with peripheral devices (e.g., via a USB interface),communication with a foot switch, communication with an input device(e.g., a touch screen display) and communication with an output device(e.g., a speaker). The UI processor 836 may communicate with the DSPprocessor 822 and the logic device 816 (e.g., via SPI buses). Althoughthe UI processor 836 may primarily support UI functionality, it may alsocoordinate with the DSP processor 822 to implement hazard mitigation incertain forms. For example, the UI processor 836 may be programmed tomonitor various aspects of user input and/or other inputs (e.g., touchscreen inputs, foot switch inputs, temperature sensor inputs) and maydisable the drive output of the generator 800 when an erroneouscondition is detected.

In certain forms, both the DSP processor 822 and the UI processor 836,for example, may determine and monitor the operating state of thegenerator 800. For the DSP processor 822, the operating state of thegenerator 800 may dictate, for example, which control and/or diagnosticprocesses are implemented by the DSP processor 822. For the UI processor836, the operating state of the generator 800 may dictate, for example,which elements of a UI (e.g., display screens, sounds) are presented toa user. The respective DSP and UI processors 822, 836 may independentlymaintain the current operating state of the generator 800 and recognizeand evaluate possible transitions out of the current operating state.The DSP processor 822 may function as the master in this relationshipand determine when transitions between operating states are to occur.The UI processor 836 may be aware of valid transitions between operatingstates and may confirm if a particular transition is appropriate. Forexample, when the DSP processor 822 instructs the UI processor 836 totransition to a specific state, the UI processor 836 may verify thatrequested transition is valid. In the event that a requested transitionbetween states is determined to be invalid by the UI processor 836, theUI processor 836 may cause the generator 800 to enter a failure mode.

The non-isolated stage 804 may further comprise a controller 838 formonitoring input devices (e.g., a capacitive touch sensor used forturning the generator 800 on and off, a capacitive touch screen). Incertain forms, the controller 838 may comprise at least one processorand/or other controller device in communication with the UI processor836. In one form, for example, the controller 838 may comprise aprocessor (e.g., a Meg168 8-bit controller available from Atmel)configured to monitor user input provided via one or more capacitivetouch sensors. In one form, the controller 838 may comprise a touchscreen controller (e.g., a QT5480 touch screen controller available fromAtmel) to control and manage the acquisition of touch data from acapacitive touch screen.

In certain forms, when the generator 800 is in a “power off” state, thecontroller 838 may continue to receive operating power (e.g., via a linefrom a power supply of the generator 800, such as the power supply 854discussed below). In this way, the controller 838 may continue tomonitor an input device (e.g., a capacitive touch sensor located on afront panel of the generator 800) for turning the generator 800 on andoff. When the generator 800 is in the power off state, the controller838 may wake the power supply (e.g., enable operation of one or moreDC/DC voltage converters 856 of the power supply 854) if activation ofthe “on/off” input device by a user is detected. The controller 838 maytherefore initiate a sequence for transitioning the generator 800 to a“power on” state. Conversely, the controller 838 may initiate a sequencefor transitioning the generator 800 to the power off state if activationof the “on/off” input device is detected when the generator 800 is inthe power on state. In certain forms, for example, the controller 838may report activation of the “on/off” input device to the UI processor836, which in turn implements the necessary process sequence fortransitioning the generator 800 to the power off state. In such forms,the controller 838 may have no independent ability for causing theremoval of power from the generator 800 after its power on state hasbeen established.

In certain forms, the controller 838 may cause the generator 800 toprovide audible or other sensory feedback for alerting the user that apower on or power off sequence has been initiated. Such an alert may beprovided at the beginning of a power on or power off sequence and priorto the commencement of other processes associated with the sequence.

In certain forms, the isolated stage 802 may comprise an instrumentinterface circuit 840 to, for example, provide a communication interfacebetween a control circuit of a surgical instrument (e.g., a controlcircuit comprising handpiece switches) and components of thenon-isolated stage 804, such as, for example, the logic device 816, theDSP processor 822, and/or the UI processor 836. The instrument interfacecircuit 840 may exchange information with components of the non-isolatedstage 804 via a communication link that maintains a suitable degree ofelectrical isolation between the isolated and non-isolated stages 802,804, such as, for example, an IR-based communication link. Power may besupplied to the instrument interface circuit 840 using, for example, alow-dropout voltage regulator powered by an isolation transformer drivenfrom the non-isolated stage 804.

In one form, the instrument interface circuit 840 may comprise a logiccircuit 842 (e.g., logic circuit, programmable logic circuit, PGA, FPGA,PLD) in communication with a signal conditioning circuit 844. The signalconditioning circuit 844 may be configured to receive a periodic signalfrom the logic circuit 842 (e.g., a 2 kHz square wave) to generate abipolar interrogation signal having an identical frequency. Theinterrogation signal may be generated, for example, using a bipolarcurrent source fed by a differential amplifier. The interrogation signalmay be communicated to a surgical instrument control circuit (e.g., byusing a conductive pair in a cable that connects the generator 800 tothe surgical instrument) and monitored to determine a state orconfiguration of the control circuit. The control circuit may comprise anumber of switches, resistors, and/or diodes to modify one or morecharacteristics (e.g., amplitude, rectification) of the interrogationsignal such that a state or configuration of the control circuit isuniquely discernable based on the one or more characteristics. In oneform, for example, the signal conditioning circuit 844 may comprise anADC circuit for generating samples of a voltage signal appearing acrossinputs of the control circuit resulting from passage of interrogationsignal therethrough. The logic circuit 842 (or a component of thenon-isolated stage 804) may then determine the state or configuration ofthe control circuit based on the ADC circuit samples.

In one form, the instrument interface circuit 840 may comprise a firstdata circuit interface 846 to enable information exchange between thelogic circuit 842 (or other element of the instrument interface circuit840) and a first data circuit disposed in or otherwise associated with asurgical instrument. In certain forms, for example, a first data circuitmay be disposed in a cable integrally attached to a surgical instrumenthandpiece or in an adaptor for interfacing a specific surgicalinstrument type or model with the generator 800. The first data circuitmay be implemented in any suitable manner and may communicate with thegenerator according to any suitable protocol, including, for example, asdescribed herein with respect to the first data circuit. In certainforms, the first data circuit may comprise a non-volatile storagedevice, such as an EEPROM device. In certain forms, the first datacircuit interface 846 may be implemented separately from the logiccircuit 842 and comprise suitable circuitry (e.g., discrete logicdevices, a processor) to enable communication between the logic circuit842 and the first data circuit. In other forms, the first data circuitinterface 846 may be integral with the logic circuit 842.

In certain forms, the first data circuit may store informationpertaining to the particular surgical instrument with which it isassociated. Such information may include, for example, a model number, aserial number, a number of operations in which the surgical instrumenthas been used, and/or any other type of information. This informationmay be read by the instrument interface circuit 840 (e.g., by the logiccircuit 842), transferred to a component of the non-isolated stage 804(e.g., to logic device 816, DSP processor 822, and/or UI processor 836)for presentation to a user via an output device and/or for controlling afunction or operation of the generator 800. Additionally, any type ofinformation may be communicated to the first data circuit for storagetherein via the first data circuit interface 846 (e.g., using the logiccircuit 842). Such information may comprise, for example, an updatednumber of operations in which the surgical instrument has been usedand/or dates and/or times of its usage.

As discussed previously, a surgical instrument may be detachable from ahandpiece (e.g., the multifunction surgical instrument may be detachablefrom the handpiece) to promote instrument interchangeability and/ordisposability. In such cases, conventional generators may be limited intheir ability to recognize particular instrument configurations beingused and to optimize control and diagnostic processes accordingly. Theaddition of readable data circuits to surgical instruments to addressthis issue is problematic from a compatibility standpoint, however. Forexample, designing a surgical instrument to remain backwardly compatiblewith generators that lack the requisite data reading functionality maybe impractical due to, for example, differing signal schemes, designcomplexity, and cost. Forms of instruments discussed herein addressthese concerns by using data circuits that may be implemented inexisting surgical instruments economically and with minimal designchanges to preserve compatibility of the surgical instruments withcurrent generator platforms.

Additionally, forms of the generator 800 may enable communication withinstrument-based data circuits. For example, the generator 800 may beconfigured to communicate with a second data circuit contained in aninstrument (e.g., the multifunction surgical instrument). In some forms,the second data circuit may be implemented in a many similar to that ofthe first data circuit described herein. The instrument interfacecircuit 840 may comprise a second data circuit interface 848 to enablethis communication. In one form, the second data circuit interface 848may comprise a tri-state digital interface, although other interfacesmay also be used. In certain forms, the second data circuit maygenerally be any circuit for transmitting and/or receiving data. In oneform, for example, the second data circuit may store informationpertaining to the particular surgical instrument with which it isassociated. Such information may include, for example, a model number, aserial number, a number of operations in which the surgical instrumenthas been used, and/or any other type of information.

In some forms, the second data circuit may store information about theelectrical and/or ultrasonic properties of an associated ultrasonictransducer, end effector, or ultrasonic drive system. For example, thefirst data circuit may indicate a burn-in frequency slope, as describedherein. Additionally or alternatively, any type of information may becommunicated to second data circuit for storage therein via the seconddata circuit interface 848 (e.g., using the logic circuit 842). Suchinformation may comprise, for example, an updated number of operationsin which the instrument has been used and/or dates and/or times of itsusage. In certain forms, the second data circuit may transmit dataacquired by one or more sensors (e.g., an instrument-based temperaturesensor). In certain forms, the second data circuit may receive data fromthe generator 800 and provide an indication to a user (e.g., a lightemitting diode indication or other visible indication) based on thereceived data.

In certain forms, the second data circuit and the second data circuitinterface 848 may be configured such that communication between thelogic circuit 842 and the second data circuit can be effected withoutthe need to provide additional conductors for this purpose (e.g.,dedicated conductors of a cable connecting a handpiece to the generator800). In one form, for example, information may be communicated to andfrom the second data circuit using a one-wire bus communication schemeimplemented on existing cabling, such as one of the conductors usedtransmit interrogation signals from the signal conditioning circuit 844to a control circuit in a handpiece. In this way, design changes ormodifications to the surgical instrument that might otherwise benecessary are minimized or reduced. Moreover, because different types ofcommunications implemented over a common physical channel can befrequency-band separated, the presence of a second data circuit may be“invisible” to generators that do not have the requisite data readingfunctionality, thus enabling backward compatibility of the surgicalinstrument.

In certain forms, the isolated stage 802 may comprise at least oneblocking capacitor 850-1 connected to the drive signal output 810 b toprevent passage of DC current to a patient. A single blocking capacitormay be required to comply with medical regulations or standards, forexample. While failure in single-capacitor designs is relativelyuncommon, such failure may nonetheless have negative consequences. Inone form, a second blocking capacitor 850-2 may be provided in serieswith the blocking capacitor 850-1, with current leakage from a pointbetween the blocking capacitors 850-1, 850-2 being monitored by, forexample, an ADC circuit 852 for sampling a voltage induced by leakagecurrent. The samples may be received by the logic circuit 842, forexample. Based changes in the leakage current (as indicated by thevoltage samples), the generator 800 may determine when at least one ofthe blocking capacitors 850-1, 850-2 has failed, thus providing abenefit over single-capacitor designs having a single point of failure.

In certain forms, the non-isolated stage 804 may comprise a power supply854 for delivering DC power at a suitable voltage and current. The powersupply may comprise, for example, a 400 W power supply for delivering a48 VDC system voltage. The power supply 854 may further comprise one ormore DC/DC voltage converters 856 for receiving the output of the powersupply to generate DC outputs at the voltages and currents required bythe various components of the generator 800. As discussed above inconnection with the controller 838, one or more of the DC/DC voltageconverters 856 may receive an input from the controller 838 whenactivation of the “on/off” input device by a user is detected by thecontroller 838 to enable operation of, or wake, the DC/DC voltageconverters 856.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a generator 900, which is one form ofthe generator 800 (FIG. 20). The generator 900 is configured to delivermultiple energy modalities to a surgical instrument. The generator 900provides RF and ultrasonic signals for delivering energy to a surgicalinstrument either independently or simultaneously. The RF and ultrasonicsignals may be provided alone or in combination and may be providedsimultaneously. As noted above, at least one generator output candeliver multiple energy modalities (e.g., ultrasonic, bipolar ormonopolar RF, irreversible and/or reversible electroporation, and/ormicrowave energy, among others) through a single port, and these signalscan be delivered separately or simultaneously to the end effector totreat tissue.

The generator 900 comprises a processor 902 coupled to a waveformgenerator 904. The processor 902 and waveform generator 904 areconfigured to generate a variety of signal waveforms based oninformation stored in a memory coupled to the processor 902, not shownfor clarity of disclosure. The digital information associated with awaveform is provided to the waveform generator 904 which includes one ormore DAC circuits to convert the digital input into an analog output.The analog output is fed to an amplifier 1106 for signal conditioningand amplification. The conditioned and amplified output of the amplifier906 is coupled to a power transformer 908. The signals are coupledacross the power transformer 908 to the secondary side, which is in thepatient isolation side. A first signal of a first energy modality isprovided to the surgical instrument between the terminals labeledENERGY1 and RETURN. A second signal of a second energy modality iscoupled across a capacitor 910 and is provided to the surgicalinstrument between the terminals labeled ENERGY2 and RETURN. It will beappreciated that more than two energy modalities may be output and thusthe subscript “n” may be used to designate that up to n ENERGYnterminals may be provided, where n is a positive integer greater than 1.It also will be appreciated that up to “n” return paths RETURNn may beprovided without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

A first voltage sensing circuit 912 is coupled across the terminalslabeled ENERGY1 and the RETURN path to measure the output voltagetherebetween. A second voltage sensing circuit 924 is coupled across theterminals labeled ENERGY2 and the RETURN path to measure the outputvoltage therebetween. A current sensing circuit 914 is disposed inseries with the RETURN leg of the secondary side of the powertransformer 908 as shown to measure the output current for either energymodality. If different return paths are provided for each energymodality, then a separate current sensing circuit should be provided ineach return leg. The outputs of the first and second voltage sensingcircuits 912, 924 are provided to respective isolation transformers 916,922 and the output of the current sensing circuit 914 is provided toanother isolation transformer 918. The outputs of the isolationtransformers 916, 928, 922 in the on the primary side of the powertransformer 908 (non-patient isolated side) are provided to a one ormore ADC circuit 926. The digitized output of the ADC circuit 926 isprovided to the processor 902 for further processing and computation.The output voltages and output current feedback information can beemployed to adjust the output voltage and current provided to thesurgical instrument and to compute output impedance, among otherparameters. Input/output communications between the processor 902 andpatient isolated circuits is provided through an interface circuit 920.Sensors also may be in electrical communication with the processor 902by way of the interface circuit 920.

In one aspect, the impedance may be determined by the processor 902 bydividing the output of either the first voltage sensing circuit 912coupled across the terminals labeled ENERGY1/RETURN or the secondvoltage sensing circuit 924 coupled across the terminals labeledENERGY2/RETURN by the output of the current sensing circuit 914 disposedin series with the RETURN leg of the secondary side of the powertransformer 908. The outputs of the first and second voltage sensingcircuits 912, 924 are provided to separate isolations transformers 916,922 and the output of the current sensing circuit 914 is provided toanother isolation transformer 916. The digitized voltage and currentsensing measurements from the ADC circuit 926 are provided the processor902 for computing impedance. As an example, the first energy modalityENERGY1 may be ultrasonic energy and the second energy modality ENERGY2may be RF energy. Nevertheless, in addition to ultrasonic and bipolar ormonopolar RF energy modalities, other energy modalities includeirreversible and/or reversible electroporation and/or microwave energy,among others. Also, although the example illustrated in FIG. 21 shows asingle return path RETURN may be provided for two or more energymodalities, in other aspects, multiple return paths RETURNn may beprovided for each energy modality ENERGYn. Thus, as described herein,the ultrasonic transducer impedance may be measured by dividing theoutput of the first voltage sensing circuit 912 by the current sensingcircuit 914 and the tissue impedance may be measured by dividing theoutput of the second voltage sensing circuit 924 by the current sensingcircuit 914.

As shown in FIG. 21, the generator 900 comprising at least one outputport can include a power transformer 908 with a single output and withmultiple taps to provide power in the form of one or more energymodalities, such as ultrasonic, bipolar or monopolar RF, irreversibleand/or reversible electroporation, and/or microwave energy, amongothers, for example, to the end effector depending on the type oftreatment of tissue being performed. For example, the generator 900 candeliver energy with higher voltage and lower current to drive anultrasonic transducer, with lower voltage and higher current to drive RFelectrodes for sealing tissue, or with a coagulation waveform for spotcoagulation using either monopolar or bipolar RF electrosurgicalelectrodes. The output waveform from the generator 900 can be steered,switched, or filtered to provide the frequency to the end effector ofthe surgical instrument. The connection of an ultrasonic transducer tothe generator 900 output would be preferably located between the outputlabeled ENERGY1 and RETURN as shown in FIG. 21. In one example, aconnection of RF bipolar electrodes to the generator 900 output would bepreferably located between the output labeled ENERGY2 and RETURN. In thecase of monopolar output, the preferred connections would be activeelectrode (e.g., pencil or other probe) to the ENERGY2 output and asuitable return pad connected to the RETURN output.

Additional details are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2017/0086914, titled TECHNIQUES FOR OPERATING GENERATOR FORDIGITALLY GENERATING ELECTRICAL SIGNAL WAVEFORMS AND SURGICALINSTRUMENTS, which published on Mar. 30, 2017, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

As used throughout this description, the term “wireless” and itsderivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods,techniques, communications channels, etc., that may communicate datathrough the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation through anon-solid medium. The term does not imply that the associated devices donot contain any wires, although in some aspects they might not. Thecommunication module may implement any of a number of wireless or wiredcommunication standards or protocols, including but not limited to W-Fi(IEEE 802.11 family), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 family), IEEE 802.20, long termevolution (LTE), Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+, HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA,TDMA, DECT, Bluetooth, Ethernet derivatives thereof, as well as anyother wireless and wired protocols that are designated as 3G, 4G, 5G,and beyond. The computing module may include a plurality ofcommunication modules. For instance, a first communication module may bededicated to shorter range wireless communications such as Wi-Fi andBluetooth and a second communication module may be dedicated to longerrange wireless communications such as GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE,Ev-DO, and others.

As used herein a processor or processing unit is an electronic circuitwhich performs operations on some external data source, usually memoryor some other data stream. The term is used herein to refer to thecentral processor (central processing unit) in a system or computersystems (especially systems on a chip (SoCs)) that combine a number ofspecialized “processors.”

As used herein, a system on a chip or system on chip (SoC or SOC) is anintegrated circuit (also known as an “IC” or “chip”) that integrates allcomponents of a computer or other electronic systems. It may containdigital, analog, mixed-signal, and often radio-frequency functions—allon a single substrate. A SoC integrates a microcontroller (ormicroprocessor) with advanced peripherals like graphics processing unit(GPU), Wi-Fi module, or coprocessor. A SoC may or may not containbuilt-in memory.

As used herein, a microcontroller or controller is a system thatintegrates a microprocessor with peripheral circuits and memory. Amicrocontroller (or MCU for microcontroller unit) may be implemented asa small computer on a single integrated circuit. It may be similar to aSoC; an SoC may include a microcontroller as one of its components. Amicrocontroller may contain one or more core processing units (CPUs)along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals. Programmemory in the form of Ferroelectric RAM, NOR flash or OTP ROM is alsooften included on chip, as well as a small amount of RAM.Microcontrollers may be employed for embedded applications, in contrastto the microprocessors used in personal computers or other generalpurpose applications consisting of various discrete chips.

As used herein, the term controller or microcontroller may be astand-alone IC or chip device that interfaces with a peripheral device.This may be a link between two parts of a computer or a controller on anexternal device that manages the operation of (and connection with) thatdevice.

Any of the processors or microcontrollers described herein, may beimplemented by any single core or multicore processor such as thoseknown under the trade name ARM Cortex by Texas Instruments. In oneaspect, the processor may be an LM4F230H5QR ARM Cortex-M4F ProcessorCore, available from Texas Instruments, for example, comprising on-chipmemory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatilememory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle serial random access memory (SRAM), internalread-only memory (ROM) loaded with StellarisWare® software, 2 KBelectrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), one ormore pulse width modulation (PWM) modules, one or more quadratureencoder inputs (QEI) analog, one or more 12-bit Analog-to-DigitalConverters (ADC) with 12 analog input channels, details of which areavailable for the product datasheet.

In one aspect, the processor may comprise a safety controller comprisingtwo controller-based families such as TMS570 and RM4x known under thetrade name Hercules ARM Cortex R4, also by Texas Instruments. The safetycontroller may be configured specifically for IEC 61508 and ISO 26262safety critical applications, among others, to provide advancedintegrated safety features while delivering scalable performance,connectivity, and memory options.

Modular devices include the modules (as described in connection withFIGS. 3 and 9, for example) that are receivable within a surgical huband the surgical devices or instruments that can be connected to thevarious modules in order to connect or pair with the correspondingsurgical hub. The modular devices include, for example, intelligentsurgical instruments, medical imaging devices, suction/irrigationdevices, smoke evacuators, energy generators, ventilators, insufflators,and displays. The modular devices described herein can be controlled bycontrol algorithms. The control algorithms can be executed on themodular device itself, on the surgical hub to which the particularmodular device is paired, or on both the modular device and the surgicalhub (e.g., via a distributed computing architecture). In someexemplifications, the modular devices' control algorithms control thedevices based on data sensed by the modular device itself (i.e., bysensors in, on, or connected to the modular device). This data can berelated to the patient being operated on (e.g., tissue properties orinsufflation pressure) or the modular device itself (e.g., the rate atwhich a knife is being advanced, motor current, or energy levels). Forexample, a control algorithm for a surgical stapling and cuttinginstrument can control the rate at which the instrument's motor drivesits knife through tissue according to resistance encountered by theknife as it advances.

Surgical Hub Situational Awareness

Although an “intelligent” device including control algorithms thatrespond to sensed data can be an improvement over a “dumb” device thatoperates without accounting for sensed data, some sensed data can beincomplete or inconclusive when considered in isolation, i.e., withoutthe context of the type of surgical procedure being performed or thetype of tissue that is being operated on. Without knowing the proceduralcontext (e.g., knowing the type of tissue being operated on or the typeof procedure being performed), the control algorithm may control themodular device incorrectly or suboptimally given the particularcontext-free sensed data. For example, the optimal manner for a controlalgorithm to control a surgical instrument in response to a particularsensed parameter can vary according to the particular tissue type beingoperated on. This is due to the fact that different tissue types havedifferent properties (e.g., resistance to tearing) and thus responddifferently to actions taken by surgical instruments. Therefore, it maybe desirable for a surgical instrument to take different actions evenwhen the same measurement for a particular parameter is sensed. As onespecific example, the optimal manner in which to control a surgicalstapling and cutting instrument in response to the instrument sensing anunexpectedly high force to close its end effector will vary dependingupon whether the tissue type is susceptible or resistant to tearing. Fortissues that are susceptible to tearing, such as lung tissue, theinstrument's control algorithm would optimally ramp down the motor inresponse to an unexpectedly high force to close to avoid tearing thetissue. For tissues that are resistant to tearing, such as stomachtissue, the instrument's control algorithm would optimally ramp up themotor in response to an unexpectedly high force to close to ensure thatthe end effector is clamped properly on the tissue. Without knowingwhether lung or stomach tissue has been clamped, the control algorithmmay make a suboptimal decision.

One solution utilizes a surgical hub including a system that isconfigured to derive information about the surgical procedure beingperformed based on data received from various data sources and thencontrol the paired modular devices accordingly. In other words, thesurgical hub is configured to infer information about the surgicalprocedure from received data and then control the modular devices pairedto the surgical hub based upon the inferred context of the surgicalprocedure. FIG. 22 illustrates a diagram of a situationally awaresurgical system 5100, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure. In some exemplifications, the data sources 5126include, for example, the modular devices 5102 (which can includesensors configured to detect parameters associated with the patientand/or the modular device itself), databases 5122 (e.g., an EMR databasecontaining patient records), and patient monitoring devices 5124 (e.g.,a blood pressure (BP) monitor and an electrocardiography (EKG) monitor).The surgical hub 5104 can be configured to derive the contextualinformation pertaining to the surgical procedure from the data basedupon, for example, the particular combination(s) of received data or theparticular order in which the data is received from the data sources5126. The contextual information inferred from the received data caninclude, for example, the type of surgical procedure being performed,the particular step of the surgical procedure that the surgeon isperforming, the type of tissue being operated on, or the body cavitythat is the subject of the procedure. This ability by some aspects ofthe surgical hub 5104 to derive or infer information related to thesurgical procedure from received data can be referred to as “situationalawareness.” In one exemplification, the surgical hub 5104 canincorporate a situational awareness system, which is the hardware and/orprogramming associated with the surgical hub 5104 that derivescontextual information pertaining to the surgical procedure from thereceived data.

The situational awareness system of the surgical hub 5104 can beconfigured to derive the contextual information from the data receivedfrom the data sources 5126 in a variety of different ways. In oneexemplification, the situational awareness system includes a patternrecognition system, or machine learning system (e.g., an artificialneural network), that has been trained on training data to correlatevarious inputs (e.g., data from databases 5122, patient monitoringdevices 5124, and/or modular devices 5102) to corresponding contextualinformation regarding a surgical procedure. In other words, a machinelearning system can be trained to accurately derive contextualinformation regarding a surgical procedure from the provided inputs. Inanother exemplification, the situational awareness system can include alookup table storing pre-characterized contextual information regardinga surgical procedure in association with one or more inputs (or rangesof inputs) corresponding to the contextual information. In response to aquery with one or more inputs, the lookup table can return thecorresponding contextual information for the situational awarenesssystem for controlling the modular devices 5102. In one exemplification,the contextual information received by the situational awareness systemof the surgical hub 5104 is associated with a particular controladjustment or set of control adjustments for one or more modular devices5102. In another exemplification, the situational awareness systemincludes a further machine learning system, lookup table, or other suchsystem, which generates or retrieves one or more control adjustments forone or more modular devices 5102 when provided the contextualinformation as input.

A surgical hub 5104 incorporating a situational awareness systemprovides a number of benefits for the surgical system 5100. One benefitincludes improving the interpretation of sensed and collected data,which would in turn improve the processing accuracy and/or the usage ofthe data during the course of a surgical procedure. To return to aprevious example, a situationally aware surgical hub 5104 coulddetermine what type of tissue was being operated on; therefore, when anunexpectedly high force to close the surgical instrument's end effectoris detected, the situationally aware surgical hub 5104 could correctlyramp up or ramp down the motor of the surgical instrument for the typeof tissue.

As another example, the type of tissue being operated can affect theadjustments that are made to the compression rate and load thresholds ofa surgical stapling and cutting instrument for a particular tissue gapmeasurement. A situationally aware surgical hub 5104 could infer whethera surgical procedure being performed is a thoracic or an abdominalprocedure, allowing the surgical hub 5104 to determine whether thetissue clamped by an end effector of the surgical stapling and cuttinginstrument is lung (for a thoracic procedure) or stomach (for anabdominal procedure) tissue. The surgical hub 5104 could then adjust thecompression rate and load thresholds of the surgical stapling andcutting instrument appropriately for the type of tissue.

As yet another example, the type of body cavity being operated in duringan insufflation procedure can affect the function of a smoke evacuator.A situationally aware surgical hub 5104 could determine whether thesurgical site is under pressure (by determining that the surgicalprocedure is utilizing insufflation) and determine the procedure type.As a procedure type is generally performed in a specific body cavity,the surgical hub 5104 could then control the motor rate of the smokeevacuator appropriately for the body cavity being operated in. Thus, asituationally aware surgical hub 5104 could provide a consistent amountof smoke evacuation for both thoracic and abdominal procedures.

As yet another example, the type of procedure being performed can affectthe optimal energy level for an ultrasonic surgical instrument or radiofrequency (RF) electrosurgical instrument to operate at. Arthroscopicprocedures, for example, require higher energy levels because the endeffector of the ultrasonic surgical instrument or RF electrosurgicalinstrument is immersed in fluid. A situationally aware surgical hub 5104could determine whether the surgical procedure is an arthroscopicprocedure. The surgical hub 5104 could then adjust the RF power level orthe ultrasonic amplitude of the generator (i.e., “energy level”) tocompensate for the fluid filled environment. Relatedly, the type oftissue being operated on can affect the optimal energy level for anultrasonic surgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument tooperate at. A situationally aware surgical hub 5104 could determine whattype of surgical procedure is being performed and then customize theenergy level for the ultrasonic surgical instrument or RFelectrosurgical instrument, respectively, according to the expectedtissue profile for the surgical procedure. Furthermore, a situationallyaware surgical hub 5104 can be configured to adjust the energy level forthe ultrasonic surgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrumentthroughout the course of a surgical procedure, rather than just on aprocedure-by-procedure basis. A situationally aware surgical hub 5104could determine what step of the surgical procedure is being performedor will subsequently be performed and then update the control algorithmsfor the generator and/or ultrasonic surgical instrument or RFelectrosurgical instrument to set the energy level at a valueappropriate for the expected tissue type according to the surgicalprocedure step.

As yet another example, data can be drawn from additional data sources5126 to improve the conclusions that the surgical hub 5104 draws fromone data source 5126. A situationally aware surgical hub 5104 couldaugment data that it receives from the modular devices 5102 withcontextual information that it has built up regarding the surgicalprocedure from other data sources 5126. For example, a situationallyaware surgical hub 5104 can be configured to determine whetherhemostasis has occurred (i.e., whether bleeding at a surgical site hasstopped) according to video or image data received from a medicalimaging device. However, in some cases the video or image data can beinconclusive. Therefore, in one exemplification, the surgical hub 5104can be further configured to compare a physiologic measurement (e.g.,blood pressure sensed by a BP monitor communicably connected to thesurgical hub 5104) with the visual or image data of hemostasis (e.g.,from a medical imaging device 124 (FIG. 2) communicably coupled to thesurgical hub 5104) to make a determination on the integrity of thestaple line or tissue weld. In other words, the situational awarenesssystem of the surgical hub 5104 can consider the physiologicalmeasurement data to provide additional context in analyzing thevisualization data. The additional context can be useful when thevisualization data may be inconclusive or incomplete on its own.

Another benefit includes proactively and automatically controlling thepaired modular devices 5102 according to the particular step of thesurgical procedure that is being performed to reduce the number of timesthat medical personnel are required to interact with or control thesurgical system 5100 during the course of a surgical procedure. Forexample, a situationally aware surgical hub 5104 could proactivelyactivate the generator to which an RF electrosurgical instrument isconnected if it determines that a subsequent step of the procedurerequires the use of the instrument. Proactively activating the energysource allows the instrument to be ready for use a soon as the precedingstep of the procedure is completed.

As another example, a situationally aware surgical hub 5104 coulddetermine whether the current or subsequent step of the surgicalprocedure requires a different view or degree of magnification on thedisplay according to the feature(s) at the surgical site that thesurgeon is expected to need to view. The surgical hub 5104 could thenproactively change the displayed view (supplied by, e.g., a medicalimaging device for the visualization system 108) accordingly so that thedisplay automatically adjusts throughout the surgical procedure.

As yet another example, a situationally aware surgical hub 5104 coulddetermine which step of the surgical procedure is being performed orwill subsequently be performed and whether particular data orcomparisons between data will be required for that step of the surgicalprocedure. The surgical hub 5104 can be configured to automatically callup data screens based upon the step of the surgical procedure beingperformed, without waiting for the surgeon to ask for the particularinformation.

Another benefit includes checking for errors during the setup of thesurgical procedure or during the course of the surgical procedure. Forexample, a situationally aware surgical hub 5104 could determine whetherthe operating theater is setup properly or optimally for the surgicalprocedure to be performed. The surgical hub 5104 can be configured todetermine the type of surgical procedure being performed, retrieve thecorresponding checklists, product location, or setup needs (e.g., from amemory), and then compare the current operating theater layout to thestandard layout for the type of surgical procedure that the surgical hub5104 determines is being performed. In one exemplification, the surgicalhub 5104 can be configured to compare the list of items for theprocedure (scanned by the scanner 5132 depicted in FIG. 26B, forexample) and/or a list of devices paired with the surgical hub 5104 to arecommended or anticipated manifest of items and/or devices for thegiven surgical procedure. If there are any discontinuities between thelists, the surgical hub 5104 can be configured to provide an alertindicating that a particular modular device 5102, patient monitoringdevice 5124, and/or other surgical item is missing. In oneexemplification, the surgical hub 5104 can be configured to determinethe relative distance or position of the modular devices 5102 andpatient monitoring devices 5124 via proximity sensors, for example. Thesurgical hub 5104 can compare the relative positions of the devices to arecommended or anticipated layout for the particular surgical procedure.If there are any discontinuities between the layouts, the surgical hub5104 can be configured to provide an alert indicating that the currentlayout for the surgical procedure deviates from the recommended layout.

As another example, a situationally aware surgical hub 5104 coulddetermine whether the surgeon (or other medical personnel) was making anerror or otherwise deviating from the expected course of action duringthe course of a surgical procedure. For example, the surgical hub 5104can be configured to determine the type of surgical procedure beingperformed, retrieve the corresponding list of steps or order ofequipment usage (e.g., from a memory), and then compare the steps beingperformed or the equipment being used during the course of the surgicalprocedure to the expected steps or equipment for the type of surgicalprocedure that the surgical hub 5104 determined is being performed. Inone exemplification, the surgical hub 5104 can be configured to providean alert indicating that an unexpected action is being performed or anunexpected device is being utilized at the particular step in thesurgical procedure.

Overall, the situational awareness system for the surgical hub 5104improves surgical procedure outcomes by adjusting the surgicalinstruments (and other modular devices 5102) for the particular contextof each surgical procedure (such as adjusting to different tissue types)and validating actions during a surgical procedure. The situationalawareness system also improves surgeons' efficiency in performingsurgical procedures by automatically suggesting next steps, providingdata, and adjusting displays and other modular devices 5102 in thesurgical theater according to the specific context of the procedure.

FIG. 23A illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5000 a forcontrolling a modular device 5102 according to contextual informationderived from received data, in accordance with at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure. In other words, a situationally aware surgicalhub 5104 can execute the process 5000 a to determine appropriate controladjustments for modular devices 5102 paired with the surgical hub 5104before, during, or after a surgical procedure as dictated by the contextof the surgical procedure. In the following description of the process5000 a, reference should also be made to FIG. 22. In oneexemplification, the process 5000 a can be executed by a control circuitof a surgical hub 5104, as depicted in FIG. 10 (processor 244). Inanother exemplification, the process 5000 a can be executed by a cloudcomputing system 104, as depicted in FIG. 1. In yet anotherexemplification, the process 5000 a can be executed by a distributedcomputing system including at least one of the aforementioned cloudcomputing system 104 and/or a control circuit of a surgical hub 5104 incombination with a control circuit of a modular device, such as themicrocontroller 461 of the surgical instrument depicted in FIG. 12, themicrocontroller 620 of the surgical instrument depicted in FIG. 16, thecontrol circuit 710 of the robotic surgical instrument 700 depicted inFIG. 17, the control circuit 760 of the surgical instruments 750, 790depicted in FIGS. 18 and 19, or the controller 838 of the generator 800depicted in FIG. 20. For economy, the following description of theprocess 5000 a will be described as being executed by the controlcircuit of a surgical hub 5104; however, it should be understood thatthe description of the process 5000 a encompasses all of theaforementioned exemplifications.

The control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 executing the process 5000a receives 5004 a data from one or more data sources 5126 to which thesurgical hub 5104 is communicably connected. The data sources 5126include, for example, databases 5122, patient monitoring devices 5124,and modular devices 5102. In one exemplification, the databases 5122 caninclude a patient EMR database associated with the medical facility atwhich the surgical procedure is being performed. The data received 5004a from the data sources 5126 can include perioperative data, whichincludes preoperative data, intraoperative data, and/or postoperativedata associated with the given surgical procedure. The data received5004 a from the databases 5122 can include the type of surgicalprocedure being performed or the patient's medical history (e.g.,medical conditions that may or may not be the subject of the presentsurgical procedure). In one exemplification depicted in FIG. 24A, thecontrol circuit can receive 5004 a the patient or surgical proceduredata by querying the patient EMR database with a unique identifierassociated with the patient. The surgical hub 5104 can receive theunique identifier from, for example, a scanner 5128 for scanning thepatient's wristband 5130 encoding the unique identifier associated withthe patient when the patient enters the operating theater, as depictedin FIG. 26A. In one exemplification, the patient monitoring devices 5124include BP monitors, EKG monitors, and other such devices that areconfigured to monitor one or more parameters associated with a patient.As with the modular devices 5102, the patient monitoring devices 5124can be paired with the surgical hub 5104 such that the surgical hub 5104receives 5004 a data therefrom. In one exemplification, the datareceived 5004 a from the modular devices 5102 that are paired with(i.e., communicably coupled to) the surgical hub 5104 includes, forexample, activation data (i.e., whether the device is powered on or inuse), data of the internal state of the modular device 5102 (e.g., forceto fire or force to close for a surgical cutting and stapling device,pressure differential for an insufflator or smoke evacuator, or energylevel for an RF or ultrasonic surgical instrument), or patient data(e.g., tissue type, tissue thickness, tissue mechanical properties,respiration rate, or airway volume).

As the process 5000 a continues, the control circuit of the surgical hub5104 can derive 5006 a contextual information from the data received5004 a from the data sources 5126. The contextual information caninclude, for example, the type of procedure being performed, theparticular step being performed in the surgical procedure, the patient'sstate (e.g., whether the patient is under anesthesia or whether thepatient is in the operating room), or the type of tissue being operatedon. The control circuit can derive 5006 a contextual informationaccording to data from ether an individual data source 5126 orcombinations of data sources 5126. Further, the control circuit canderive 5006 a contextual information according to, for example, thetype(s) of data that it receives, the order in which the data isreceived, or particular measurements or values associated with the data.For example, if the control circuit receives data from an RF generatorindicating that the RF generator has been activated, the control circuitcould thus infer that the RF electrosurgical instrument is now in useand that the surgeon is or will be performing a step of the surgicalprocedure utilizing the particular instrument. As another example, ifthe control circuit receives data indicating that a laparoscope imagingdevice has been activated and an ultrasonic generator is subsequentlyactivated, the control circuit can infer that the surgeon is on alaparoscopic dissection step of the surgical procedure due to the orderin which the events occurred. As yet another example, if the controlcircuit receives data from a ventilator indicating that the patient'srespiration is below a particular rate, then the control circuit candetermine that the patient is under anesthesia.

The control circuit can then determine 5008 a what control adjustmentsare necessary (if any) for one or more modular devices 5102 according tothe derived 5006 a contextual information. After determining 5008 a thecontrol adjustments, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 canthen control 5010 a the modular devices according to the controladjustments (if the control circuit determined 5008 a that any werenecessary). For example, if the control circuit determines that anarthroscopic procedure is being performed and that the next step in theprocedure utilizes an RF or ultrasonic surgical instrument in a liquidenvironment, the control circuit can determine 5008 a that a controladjustment for the generator of the RF or ultrasonic surgical instrumentis necessary to preemptively increase the energy output of theinstrument (because such instruments require increased energy in liquidenvironments to maintain their effectiveness). The control circuit canthen control 5010 a the generator and/or the RF or ultrasonic surgicalinstrument accordingly by causing the generator to increase its outputand/or causing the RF or ultrasonic surgical instrument to increase theenergy drawn from the generator. The control circuit can control 5010 athe modular devices 5102 according to the determined 5008 a controladjustment by, for example, transmitting the control adjustments to theparticular modular device to update the modular device's 5102programming. In another exemplification wherein the modular device(s)5102 and the surgical hub 5104 are executing a distributed computingarchitecture, the control circuit can control 5010 a the modular device5102 according to the determined 5008 a control adjustments by updatingthe distributed program.

FIGS. 23B-D illustrate representative implementations of the process5000 a depicted in FIG. 23A. As with the process 5000 a depicted in FIG.23A, the processes illustrated in FIGS. 23B-D can, in oneexemplification, be executed by a control circuit of the surgical hub5104. FIG. 23B illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5000 b forcontrolling a second modular device according to contextual informationderived from perioperative data received from a first modular device, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In theillustrated exemplification, the control circuit of the surgical hub5104 receives 5004 b perioperative data from a first modular device. Theperioperative data can include, for example, data regarding the modulardevice 5102 itself (e.g., pressure differential, motor current, internalforces, or motor torque) or data regarding the patient with which themodular device 5102 is being utilized (e.g., tissue properties,respiration rate, airway volume, or laparoscopic image data). Afterreceiving 5004 b the perioperative data, the control circuit of thesurgical hub 5104 derives 5006 b contextual information from theperioperative data. The contextual information can include, for example,the procedure type, the step of the procedure being performed, or thestatus of the patient. The control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 thendetermines 5008 b control adjustments for a second modular device basedupon the derived 5006 b contextual information and then controls 5010 bthe second modular device accordingly. For example, the surgical hub5104 can receive 5004 b perioperative data from a ventilator indicatingthat the patient's lung has been deflated, derive 5006 b the contextualinformation therefrom that the subsequent step in the particularprocedure type utilizes a medical imaging device (e.g., a scope),determine 5008 b that the medical imaging device should be activated andset to a particular magnification, and then control 5010 b the medicalimaging device accordingly.

FIG. 23C illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5000 c forcontrolling a second modular device according to contextual informationderived from perioperative data received from a first modular device andthe second modular device. In the illustrated exemplification, thecontrol circuit of the surgical hub 5104 receives 5002 c perioperativedata from a first modular device and receives 5004 c perioperative datafrom a second modular device. After receiving 5002 c, 5004 c theperioperative data, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 derives5006 c contextual information from the perioperative data. The controlcircuit of the surgical hub 5104 then determines 5008 c controladjustments for the second modular device based upon the derived 5006 ccontextual information and then controls 5010 c the second modulardevice accordingly. For example, the surgical hub 5104 can receive 5002c perioperative data from a RF electrosurgical instrument indicatingthat the instrument has been fired, receive 5004 c perioperative datafrom a surgical stapling instrument indicating that the instrument hasbeen fired, derive 5006 c the contextual information therefrom that thesubsequent step in the particular procedure type requires that thesurgical stapling instrument be fired with a particular force (becausethe optimal force to fire can vary according to the tissue type beingoperated on), determine 5008 c the particular force thresholds thatshould be applied to the surgical stapling instrument, and then control5010 c the surgical stapling instrument accordingly.

FIG. 23D illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5000 d forcontrolling a third modular device according to contextual informationderived from perioperative data received from a first modular device anda second modular device. In the illustrated exemplification, the controlcircuit of the surgical hub 5104 receives 5002 d perioperative data froma first modular device and receives 5004 d perioperative data from asecond modular device. After receiving 5002 d, 5004 d the perioperativedata, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 derives 5006 dcontextual information from the perioperative data. The control circuitof the surgical hub 5104 then determines 5008 d control adjustments fora third modular device based upon the derived 5006 d contextualinformation and then controls 5010 d the third modular deviceaccordingly. For example, the surgical hub 5104 can receive 5002 d, 5004d perioperative data from an insufflator and a medical imaging deviceindicating that both devices have been activated and paired to thesurgical hub 5104, derive 5006 d the contextual information therefromthat a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedure is beingperformed, determine 5008 d that the displays connected to the surgicalhub 5104 should be set to display particular views or informationassociated with the procedure type, and then control 5010 d the displaysaccordingly.

FIG. 24A illustrates a diagram of a surgical system 5100 including asurgical hub 5104 communicably coupled to a particular set of datasources 5126. A surgical hub 5104 including a situational awarenesssystem can utilize the data received from the data sources 5126 toderive contextual information regarding the surgical procedure that thesurgical hub 5104, the modular devices 5102 paired to the surgical hub5104, and the patient monitoring devices 5124 paired to the surgical hub5104 are being utilized in connection with. The inferences (i.e.,contextual information) that one exemplification of the situationalawareness system can derive from the particular set of data sources 5126are depicted in dashed boxes extending from the data source(s) 5126 fromwhich they are derived. The contextual information derived from the datasources 5126 can include, for example, what step of the surgicalprocedure is being performed, whether and how a particular modulardevice 5102 is being used, and the patient's condition.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 24A, the data sources 5126 include adatabase 5122, a variety of modular devices 5102, and a variety ofpatient monitoring devices 5124. The surgical hub 5104 can be connectedto various databases 5122 to retrieve therefrom data regarding thesurgical procedure that is being performed or is to be performed. In oneexemplification of the surgical system 5100, the databases 5122 includean EMR database of a hospital. The data that can be received by thesituational awareness system of the surgical hub 5104 from the databases5122 can include, for example, start (or setup) time or operationalinformation regarding the procedure (e.g., a segmentectomy in the upperright portion of the thoracic cavity). The surgical hub 5104 can derivecontextual information regarding the surgical procedure from this dataalone or from the combination of this data and data from other datasources 5126.

The surgical hub 5104 can also be connected to (i.e., paired with) avariety of patient monitoring devices 5124. In one exemplification ofthe surgical system 5100, the patient monitoring devices 5124 that canbe paired with the surgical hub 5104 can include a pulse oximeter (SpO₂monitor) 5114, a BP monitor 5116, and an EKG monitor 5120. Theperioperative data that can be received by the situational awarenesssystem of the surgical hub 5104 from the patient monitoring devices 5124can include, for example, the patient's oxygen saturation, bloodpressure, heart rate, and other physiological parameters. The contextualinformation that can be derived by the surgical hub 5104 from theperioperative data transmitted by the patient monitoring devices 5124can include, for example, whether the patient is located in theoperating theater or under anesthesia. The surgical hub 5104 can derivethese inferences from data from the patient monitoring devices 5124alone or in combination with data from other data sources 5126 (e.g.,the ventilator 5118).

The surgical hub 5104 can also be connected to (i.e., paired with) avariety of modular devices 5102. In one exemplification of the surgicalsystem 5100, the modular devices 5102 that can be paired with thesurgical hub 5104 can include a smoke evacuator 5106, a medical imagingdevice 5108, an insufflator 5110, a combined energy generator 5112 (forpowering an ultrasonic surgical instrument and/or an RF electrosurgicalinstrument), and a ventilator 5118.

The medical imaging device 5108 includes an optical component and animage sensor that generates image data. The optical component includes alens or a light source, for example. The image sensor includes acharge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS), for example. In various exemplifications, the medical imagingdevice 5108 includes an endoscope, a laparoscope, a thoracoscope, andother such imaging devices. Various additional components of the medicalimaging device 5108 are described above. The perioperative data that canbe received by the surgical hub 5104 from the medical imaging device5108 can include, for example, whether the medical imaging device 5108is activated and a video or image feed. The contextual information thatcan be derived by the surgical hub 5104 from the perioperative datatransmitted by the medical imaging device 5108 can include, for example,whether the procedure is a VATS procedure (based on whether the medicalimaging device 5108 is activated or paired to the surgical hub 5104 atthe beginning or during the course of the procedure). Furthermore, theimage or video data from the medical imaging device 5108 (or the datastream representing the video for a digital medical imaging device 5108)can processed by a pattern recognition system or a machine learningsystem to recognize features (e.g., organs or tissue types) in the fieldof view (FOV) of the medical imaging device 5108, for example. Thecontextual information that can be derived by the surgical hub 5104 fromthe recognized features can include, for example, what type of surgicalprocedure (or step thereof) is being performed, what organ is beingoperated on, or what body cavity is being operated in.

In one exemplification depicted in FIG. 24B, the smoke evacuator 5106includes a first pressure sensor P₁ configured to detect the ambientpressure in the operating theater, a second pressure sensor P₂configured to detect the internal downstream pressure (i.e., thepressure downstream from the inlet), and a third pressure sensor P₃configured to detect the internal upstream pressure. In oneexemplification, the first pressure sensor P₁ can be a separatecomponent from the smoke evacuator 5106 or otherwise located externallyto the smoke evacuator 5106. The perioperative data that can be receivedby the surgical hub 5104 from the smoke evacuator 5106 can include, forexample, whether the smoke evacuator 5106 is activated, pressurereadings from each of the sensors P₁, P₂, P₃, and pressure differentialsbetween pairs of the sensors P₁, P₂, P₃. The perioperative data can alsoinclude, for example, the type of tissue being operated on (based uponthe chemical composition of the smoke being evacuated) and the amount oftissue being cut. The contextual information that can be derived by thesurgical hub 5104 from the perioperative data transmitted by the smokeevacuator 5106 can include, for example, whether the procedure beingperformed is utilizing insufflation. The smoke evacuator 5106perioperative data can indicate whether the procedure is utilizinginsufflation according to the pressure differential between P₃ and P₁.If the pressure sensed by P₃ is greater than the pressure sensed by P₁(i.e., P₃−P₁>0), then the body cavity to which the smoke evacuator 5106is connected is insufflated. If the pressure sensed by P₃ is equal tothe pressure sensed by P₁ (i.e., P₃−P₁=0), then the body cavity is notinsufflated. When the body cavity is not insufflated, the procedure maybe an open type of procedure.

The insufflator 5110 can include, for example, pressure sensors andcurrent sensors configured to detect internal parameters of theinsufflator 5110. The perioperative data that can be received by thesurgical hub 5104 from the insufflator can include, for example, whetherthe insufflator 5110 is activated and the electrical current drawn bythe insufflator's 5110 pump. The surgical hub 5104 can determine whetherthe insufflator 5110 is activated by, for example, directly detectingwhether the device is powered on, detecting whether there is a pressuredifferential between an ambient pressure sensor and a pressure sensorinternal to the surgical site, or detecting whether the pressure valvesof the insufflator 5110 are pressurized (activated) or non-pressurized(deactivated). The contextual information that can be derived by thesurgical hub 5104 from the perioperative data transmitted by theinsufflator 5110 can include, for example, the type of procedure beingperformed (e.g., insufflation is utilized in laparoscopic procedures,but not arthroscopic procedures) and what body cavity is being operatedin (e.g., insufflation is utilized in the abdominal cavity, but not inthe thoracic cavity). In some exemplifications, the inferences derivedfrom the perioperative data received from different modular devices 5102can be utilized to confirm and/or increase the confidence of priorinferences. For example, if the surgical hub 5104 determines that theprocedure is utilizing insufflation because the insufflator 5110 isactivated, the surgical hub 5104 can then confirm that inference bydetecting whether the perioperative data from the smoke evacuator 5106likewise indicates that the body cavity is insufflated.

The combined energy generator 5112 supplies energy to one or moreultrasonic surgical instruments or RF electrosurgical instrumentsconnected thereto. The perioperative data that can be received by thesurgical hub 5104 from the combined energy generator 5112 can include,for example, the mode that the combined energy generator 5112 is set to(e.g., a vessel sealing mode or a cutting/coagulation mode). Thecontextual information that can be derived by the surgical hub 5104 fromthe perioperative data transmitted by the combined energy generator 5112can include, for example, the surgical procedural type (based on thenumber and types of surgical instruments that are connected to theenergy generator 5112) and the procedural step that is being performed(because the particular surgical instrument being utilized or theparticular order in which the surgical instruments are utilizedcorresponds to different steps of the surgical procedure). Further, theinferences derived by the surgical hub 5104 can depend upon inferencesand/or perioperative data previously received by the surgical hub 5104.Once the surgical hub 5104 has determined the general category orspecific type of surgical procedure being performed, the surgical hub5104 can determine or retrieve an expected sequence of steps for thesurgical procedure and then track the surgeon's progression through thesurgical procedure by comparing the detected sequence in which thesurgical instruments are utilized relative to the expected sequence.

The perioperative data that can be received by the surgical hub 5104from the ventilator 5118 can include, for example, the respiration rateand airway volume of the patient. The contextual information that can bederived by the surgical hub 5104 from the perioperative data transmittedby the ventilator 5118 can include, for example, whether the patient isunder anesthesia and whether the patient's lung is deflated. In someexemplifications, certain contextual information can be inferred by thesurgical hub 5104 based on combinations of perioperative data frommultiple data sources 5126. For example, the situational awarenesssystem of the surgical hub 5104 can be configured to infer that thepatient is under anesthesia when the respiration rate detected by theventilator 5118, the blood pressure detected by the BP monitor 5116, andthe heart rate detected by the EKG monitor 5120 fall below particularthresholds. For certain contextual information, the surgical hub 5104can be configured to only derive a particular inference when theperioperative data from a certain number or all of the relevant datasources 5126 satisfy the conditions for the inference.

As can be seen from the particular exemplified surgical system 5100, thesituational awareness system of a surgical hub 5104 can derive a varietyof contextual information regarding the surgical procedure beingperformed from the data sources 5126. The surgical hub 5104 can utilizethe derived contextual information to control the modular devices 5102and make further inferences about the surgical procedure in combinationwith data from other data sources 5126. It should be noted that theinferences depicted in FIG. 24A and described in connection with thedepicted surgical system 5100 are merely exemplary and should not beinterpreted as limiting in any way. Furthermore, the surgical hub 5104can be configured to derive a variety of other inferences from the same(or different) modular devices 5102 and/or patient monitoring devices5124. In other exemplifications, a variety of other modular devices 5102and/or patient monitoring devices 5124 can be paired to the surgical hub5104 in the operating theater and data received from those additionalmodular devices 5102 and/or patient monitoring devices 5124 can beutilized by the surgical hub 5104 to derive the same or differentcontextual information about the particular surgical procedure beingperformed.

FIGS. 25A-J depict logic flow diagrams for processes for deriving 5008a, 5008 b, 5008 c, 5008 d contextual information from various modulardevices, as discussed above with respect to the processes 5000 a, 5000b, 5000 c, 5000 d depicted in FIGS. 23A-D. The derived contextualinformation in FIGS. 25A-C is the procedure type. The procedure type cancorrespond to techniques utilized during the surgical procedure (e.g., asegmentectomy), the category of the surgical procedure (e.g., alaparoscopic procedure), the organ, tissue, or other structure beingoperated on, and other characteristics to identify the particularsurgical procedure (e.g., the procedure utilizes insufflation). Thederived contextual information in FIGS. 25D-G is the particular step ofthe surgical procedure that is being performed. The derived contextualinformation in FIGS. 25H-J is the patient's status. It can be noted thatthe patient's status can also correspond to the particular step of thesurgical procedure that is being performed (e.g., determining that thepatient's status has changed from not being under anesthesia to beingunder anesthesia can indicate that the step of the surgical procedure ofplacing the patient under anesthesia was carried out by the surgicalstaff). As with the process 5000 a depicted in FIG. 23A, the processesillustrated in FIGS. 25A-J can, in one exemplification, be executed by acontrol circuit of the surgical hub 5104. In the following descriptionsof the processes illustrated in FIGS. 25A-J, reference should also bemade to FIG. 24A.

FIG. 25A illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5111 fordetermining a procedure type according to smoke evacuator 5106perioperative data. In this exemplification, the control circuit of thesurgical hub 5104 executing the process 5111 receives 5113 perioperativedata from the smoke evacuator 5106 and then determines 5115 whether thesmoke evacuator 5106 is activated based thereon. If the smoke evacuator5106 is not activated, then the process 5111 continues along the NObranch and the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 continuesmonitoring for the receipt of smoke evacuator 5106 perioperative data.If the smoke evacuator 5106 is activated, then the process 5111continues along the YES branch and the control circuit of the surgicalhub 5104 determines 5117 whether there is a pressure differentialbetween an internal upstream pressure sensor P₃ (FIG. 24B) and anexternal or ambient pressure sensor P₁ (FIG. 24B). If there is apressure differential (i.e., the internal upstream pressure of the smokeevacuator 5106 is greater then the ambient pressure of the operatingtheater), then the process 5111 continues along the YES branch and thecontrol circuit determines 5119 that the surgical procedure is aninsufflation-utilizing procedure. If there is not a pressuredifferential, then the process 5111 continues along the NO branch andthe control circuit determines 5121 that the surgical procedure is notan insufflation-utilizing procedure.

FIG. 25B illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5123 fordetermining a procedure type according to smoke evacuator 5106,insufflator 5110, and medical imaging device 5108 perioperative data. Inthis exemplification, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104executing the process 5123 receives 5125, 5127, 5129 perioperative datafrom the smoke evacuator 5106, insufflator 5110, and medical imagingdevice 5108 and then determines 5131 whether all of the devices areactivated or paired with the surgical hub 5104. If all of these devicesare not activated or paired with the surgical hub 5104, then the process5123 continues along the NO branch and the control circuit determines5133 that the surgical procedure is not a VATS procedure. If all of theaforementioned devices are activated or paired with the surgical hub5104, then the process 5123 continues along the YES branch and thecontrol circuit determines 5135 that the surgical procedure is a VATSprocedure. The control circuit can make this determination based uponthe fact that al of these devices are required for a VATS procedure;therefore, if not all of these devices are being utilized in thesurgical procedure, it cannot be a VATS procedure.

FIG. 25C illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5137 fordetermining a procedure type according to medical imaging device 5108perioperative data. In this exemplification, the control circuit of thesurgical hub 5104 executing the process 5137 receives 5139 perioperativedata from the medical imaging device 5108 and then determines 5141whether the medical imaging device 5108 is transmitting an image orvideo feed. If the medical imaging device 5108 is not transmitting animage or video feed, then the process 5137 continues along the NO branchand the control circuit determines 5143 that the surgical procedure isnot a VATS procedure. If the medical imaging device 5108 is nottransmitting an image or video feed, then the process 5137 continuesalong the YES branch and the control circuit determines 5145 that thesurgical procedure is a VATS procedure. In one exemplification, thecontrol circuit of the surgical hub 5104 can execute the process 5137depicted in FIG. 25C in combination with the process 5123 depicted inFIG. 25B in order to confirm or increase the confidence in thecontextual information derived by both processes 5123, 5137. If there isa discontinuity between the determinations of the processes 5123, 5137(e.g., the medical imaging device 5108 is transmitting a feed, but notall of the requisite devices are paired with the surgical hub 5104),then the surgical hub 5104 can execute additional processes to come to afinal determination that resolves the discontinuities between theprocesses 5123, 5137 or display an alert or feedback to the surgicalstaff as to the discontinuity.

FIG. 25D illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5147 fordetermining a procedural step according to insufflator 5110perioperative data. In this exemplification, the control circuit of thesurgical hub 5104 executing the process 5147 receives 5149 perioperativedata from the insufflator 5110 and then determines 5151 whether there isa pressure differential between the surgical site and the ambientenvironment of the operating theater. In one exemplification, theinsufflator 5110 perioperative data can include a surgical site pressure(e.g., the intra-abdominal pressure) sensed by a first pressure sensorassociated with the insufflator 5110, which can be compared against apressure sensed by a second pressure sensor configured to detect theambient pressure. The first pressure sensor can be configured to detectan intra-abdominal pressure between 0-10 mmHg, for example. If there isa pressure differential, then the process 5147 continues along the YESbranch and the control circuit determines 5153 that aninsufflation-utilizing step of the surgical procedure is beingperformed. If there is not a pressure differential, then the process5147 continues along the NO branch and the control circuit determines5155 that an insufflation-utilizing step of the surgical procedure isnot being performed.

FIG. 25E illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5157 fordetermining a procedural step according to energy generator 5112perioperative data. In this exemplification, the control circuit of thesurgical hub 5104 executing the process 5157 receives 5159 perioperativedata from the energy generator 5112 and then determines 5161 whether theenergy generator 5112 is in the sealing mode. In variousexemplifications, the energy generator 5112 can include two modes: asealing mode corresponding to a first energy level and a cut/coagulationmode corresponding to a second energy level. If the energy generator5112 is not in the sealing mode, then the process 5157 proceeds alongthe NO branch and the control circuit determines 5163 that a dissectionstep of the surgical procedure is being performed. The control circuitcan make this determination 5163 because if the energy generator 5112 isnot on the sealing mode, then it must thus be on the cut/coagulationmode for energy generators 5112 having two modes of operation. Thecut/coagulation mode of the energy generator 5112 corresponds to adissection procedural step because it provides an appropriate degree ofenergy to the ultrasonic surgical instrument or RF electrosurgicalinstrument to dissect tissue. If the energy generator 5112 is in thesealing mode, then the process 5157 proceeds along the YES branch andthe control circuit determines 5165 that a ligation step of the surgicalprocedure is being performed. The sealing mode of the energy generator5112 corresponds to a ligation procedural step because it provides anappropriate degree of energy to the ultrasonic surgical instrument or RFelectrosurgical instrument to ligate vessels.

FIG. 25F illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5167 fordetermining a procedural step according to energy generator 5112perioperative data. In various aspects, previously receivedperioperative data and/or previously derived contextual information canalso be considered by processes in deriving subsequent contextualinformation. This allows the situational awareness system of thesurgical hub 5104 to derive additional and/or increasingly detailedcontextual information about the surgical procedure as the procedure isperformed. In this exemplification, the process 5167 determines 5169that a segmentectomy procedure is being performed. This contextualinformation can be derived by this process 5167 or other processes basedupon other received perioperative data and/or retrieved from a memory.Subsequently, the control circuit receives 5171 perioperative data fromthe energy generator 5112 indicating that a surgical instrument is beingfired and then determines 5173 whether the energy generator 5112 wasutilized in a previous step of the procedure to fire the surgicalinstrument. The control circuit can determine 5173 whether the energygenerator 5112 was previously utilized in a prior step of the procedureby retrieving a list of the steps that have been performed in thecurrent surgical procedure from a memory, for example. In suchexemplifications, when the surgical hub 5104 determines that a step ofthe surgical procedure has been performed or completed by the surgicalstaff, the surgical hub 5104 can update a list of the procedural stepsthat have been performed, which can then be subsequently retrieved bythe control circuit of the surgical hub 5104. In one exemplification,the surgical hub 5104 can distinguish between sequences of firings ofthe surgical instrument as corresponding to separate steps of thesurgical procedure according to the time delay between the sequences offirings, whether any intervening actions were taken or modular devices5102 were utilized by the surgical staff, or other factors that thesituational awareness system can detect. If the energy generator 5112has not been previously utilized during the course of the segmentectomyprocedure, the process 5167 proceeds along the NO branch and the controlcircuit determines 5175 that the step of dissecting tissue to mobilizethe patient's lungs is being performed by the surgical staff. If theenergy generator 5112 has been previously utilized during the course ofthe segmentectomy procedure, the process 5167 proceeds along the YESbranch and the control circuit determines 5177 that the step ofdissecting nodes is being performed by the surgical staff. An ultrasonicsurgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument is utilized twiceduring the course of an example of a segmentectomy procedure (e.g., FIG.27); therefore, the situational awareness system of the surgical hub5104 executing the process 5167 can distinguish between which step theutilization of the energy generator 5112 indicates is currently beingperformed based upon whether the energy generator 5112 was previouslyutilized.

FIG. 25G illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5179 fordetermining a procedural step according to stapler perioperative data.As described above with respect to the process 5167 illustrated in FIG.25F, the process 5179 utilizes previously received perioperative dataand/or previously derived contextual information in deriving subsequentcontextual information. In this exemplification, the process 5179determines 5181 that a segmentectomy procedure is being performed. Thiscontextual information can be derived by this process 5179 or otherprocesses based upon other received perioperative data and/or retrievedfrom a memory. Subsequently, the control circuit receives 5183perioperative data from the surgical stapling instrument (i.e., stapler)indicating that the surgical stapling instrument is being fired and thendetermines 5185 whether the surgical stapling instrument was utilized ina previous step of the surgical procedure. As described above, thecontrol circuit can determine 5185 whether the surgical staplinginstrument was previously utilized in a prior step of the procedure byretrieving a list of the steps that have been performed in the currentsurgical procedure from a memory, for example. If the surgical staplinginstrument has not been utilized previously, then the process 5179proceeds along the NO branch and the control circuit determines 5187that the step of ligating arteries and veins is being performed by thesurgical staff. If the surgical stapling instrument has been previouslyutilized during the course of the segmentectomy procedure, the process5179 proceeds along the YES branch and the control circuit determines5189 that the step of transecting parenchyma is being performed by thesurgical staff. A surgical stapling instrument is utilized twice duringthe course of an example of a segmentectomy procedure (e.g., FIG. 27);therefore, the situational awareness system of the surgical hub 5104executing the process 5179 can distinguish between which step theutilization of the surgical stapling instrument indicates is currentlybeing performed based upon whether the surgical stapling instrument waspreviously utilized.

FIG. 25H illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5191 fordetermining a patient status according to ventilator 5110, pulseoximeter 5114, BP monitor 5116, and/or EKG monitor 5120 perioperativedata. In this exemplification, the control circuit of the surgical hub5104 executing the process 5191 receives 5193, 5195, 5197, 5199perioperative data from each of the ventilator 5110, pulse oximeter5114, BP monitor 5116, and/or EKG monitor 5120 and then determineswhether one or more values of the physiological parameters sensed byeach of the devices fall below a threshold for each of the physiologicalparameters. The threshold for each physiological parameter cancorrespond to a value that corresponds to a patient being underanesthesia. In other words, the control circuit determines 5201 whetherthe patient's respiration rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure,and/or heart rate indicate that the patient is under anesthesiaaccording data sensed by the respective modular device 5102 and/orpatient monitoring devices 5124. In one exemplification, if the all ofthe values from the perioperative data are below their respectivethresholds, then the process 5191 proceeds along the YES branch and thecontrol circuit determines 5203 that the patient is under anesthesia. Inanother exemplification, the control circuit can determine 5203 that thepatient is under anesthesia if a particular number or ratio of themonitored physiological parameters indicate that the patient is underanesthesia. Otherwise, the process 5191 proceeds along the NO branch andthe control circuit determines 5205 that the patient is not underanesthesia.

FIG. 25I illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5207 fordetermining a patient status according to pulse oximeter 5114, BPmonitor 5116, and/or EKG monitor 5120 perioperative data. In thisexemplification, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 executingthe process 5207 receives 5209, 5211, 5213 (or attempts to receive)perioperative data the pulse oximeter 5114, BP monitor 5116, and/or EKGmonitor 5120 and then determines 5215 whether at least one of thedevices is paired with the surgical hub 5104 or the surgical hub 5104 isotherwise receiving data therefrom. If the control circuit is receivingdata from at least one of these patient monitoring devices 5124, theprocess 5207 proceeds along the YES branch and the control circuitdetermines 5217 that the patient is in the operating theater. Thecontrol circuit can make this determination because the patientmonitoring devices 5214 connected to the surgical hub 5104 must be inthe operating theater and thus the patient must likewise be in theoperating theater. If the control circuit is not receiving data from atleast one of these patient monitoring devices 5124, the process 5207proceeds along the NO branch and the control circuit determines 5219that the patient is not in the operating theater.

FIG. 25J illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5221 fordetermining a patient status according to ventilator 5110 perioperativedata. In this exemplification, the control circuit of the surgical hub5104 executing the process 5221 receives 5223 perioperative data fromthe ventilator 5110 and then determines 5225 whether the patient'sairway volume has decreased or is decreasing. In one exemplification,the control circuit determines 5225 whether the patient's airway volumefalls below a particular threshold value indicative of a lung havingcollapsed or been deflated. In another exemplification, the controlcircuit determines 5225 whether the patient's airway volume falls belowan average or baseline level by a threshold amount. If the patient'sairway volume has not decreased sufficiently, the process 5221 proceedsalong the NO branch and the control circuit determines 5227 that thepatient's lung is not deflated. If the patient's airway volume hasdecreased sufficiently, the process 5221 proceeds along the YES branchand the control circuit determines 5229 that the patient's lung is notdeflated.

In one exemplification, the surgical system 5100 can further includevarious scanners that can be paired with the surgical hub 5104 to detectand record objects and individuals that enter and exit the operatingtheater. FIG. 26A illustrates a scanner 5128 paired with a surgical hub5104 that is configured to scan a patient wristband 5130. In one aspect,the scanner 5128 includes, for example, a barcode reader or aradio-frequency identification (RFID) reader that is able to readpatient information from the patient wristband 5130 and then transmitthat information to the surgical hub 5104. The patient information caninclude the surgical procedure to be performed or identifyinginformation that can be cross-referenced with the hospital's EMRdatabase 5122 by the surgical hub 5104, for example. FIG. 26Billustrates a scanner 5132 paired with a surgical hub 5104 that isconfigured to scan a product list 5134 for a surgical procedure. Thesurgical hub 5104 can utilize data from the scanner 5132 regarding thenumber, type, and mix of items to be used in the surgical procedure toidentify the type of surgical procedure being performed. In oneexemplification, the scanner 5132 includes a product scanner (e.g., abarcode reader or an RFID reader) that is able to read the productinformation (e.g., name and quantity) from the product itself or theproduct packaging as the products are brought into the operating theaterand then transmit that information to the surgical hub 5104. In anotherexemplification, the scanner 5132 includes a camera (or othervisualization device) and associated optical character recognitionsoftware that is able to read the product information from a productlist 5134. The surgical hub 5104 can be configured to cross-referencethe list of items indicated by the received data with a lookup table ordatabase of items utilized for various types of surgical procedures inorder to infer the particular surgical procedure that is to be (or was)performed. As shown in FIG. 26B, the illustrative product list 5134includes ring forceps, rib spreaders, a powered vascular stapler (PVS),and a thoracic wound protector. In this example, the surgical hub 5104can infer that the surgical procedure is a thoracic procedure from thisdata since these products are only utilized in thoracic procedures. Insum, the scanner(s) 5128, 5132 can provide serial numbers, productlists, and patient information to the surgical hub 5104. Based on thisdata regarding what devices and instruments are being utilized and thepatient's medical information, the surgical hub 5104 can determineadditional contextual information regarding the surgical procedure.

In order to assist in the understanding of the process 5000 aillustrated in FIG. 23A and the other concepts discussed above, FIG. 27illustrates a timeline 5200 of an illustrative surgical procedure andthe contextual information that a surgical hub 5104 can derive from thedata received from the data sources 5126 at each step in the surgicalprocedure. In the following description of the timeline 5200 illustratedin FIG. 27, reference should also be made to FIG. 22. The timeline 5200depicts the typical steps that would be taken by the nurses, surgeons,and other medical personnel during the course of a lung segmentectomyprocedure, beginning with setting up the operating theater and endingwith transferring the patient to a post-operative recovery room. Thesituationally aware surgical hub 5104 receives data from the datasources 5126 throughout the course of the surgical procedure, includingdata generated each time medical personnel utilize a modular device 5102that is paired with the surgical hub 5104. The surgical hub 5104 canreceive this data from the paired modular devices 5102 and other datasources 5126 and continually derive inferences (i.e., contextualinformation) about the ongoing procedure as new data is received, suchas which step of the procedure is being performed at any given time. Thesituational awareness system of the surgical hub 5104 is able to, forexample, record data pertaining to the procedure for generating reports(e.g., see FIGS. 31-42), verify the steps being taken by the medicalpersonnel, provide data or prompts (e.g., via a display screen) that maybe pertinent for the particular procedural step, adjust modular devices5102 based on the context (e.g., activate monitors, adjust the FOV ofthe medical imaging device, or change the energy level of an ultrasonicsurgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument), and take anyother such action described above.

As the first step S202 in this illustrative procedure, the hospitalstaff members retrieve the patient's EMR from the hospital's EMRdatabase. Based on select patient data in the EMR, the surgical hub 5104determines that the procedure to be performed is a thoracic procedure.Second 5204, the staff members scan the incoming medical supplies forthe procedure. The surgical hub 5104 cross-references the scannedsupplies with a list of supplies that are utilized in various types ofprocedures and confirms that the mix of supplies corresponds to athoracic procedure (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 26B). Further, thesurgical hub 5104 is also able to determine that the procedure is not awedge procedure (because the incoming supplies either lack certainsupplies that are necessary for a thoracic wedge procedure or do nototherwise correspond to a thoracic wedge procedure). Third 5206, themedical personnel scan the patient band (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 26A)via a scanner 5128 that is communicably connected to the surgical hub5104. The surgical hub 5104 can then confirm the patient's identitybased on the scanned data. Fourth 5208, the medical staff turns on theauxiliary equipment. The auxiliary equipment being utilized can varyaccording to the type of surgical procedure and the techniques to beused by the surgeon, but in this illustrative case they include a smokeevacuator, insufflator, and medical imaging device. When activated, theauxiliary equipment that are modular devices 5102 can automatically pairwith the surgical hub 5104 that is located within a particular vicinityof the modular devices 5102 as part of their initialization process. Thesurgical hub 5104 can then derive contextual information about thesurgical procedure by detecting the types of modular devices 5102 thatpair with it during this pre-operative or initialization phase. In thisparticular example, the surgical hub 5104 determines that the surgicalprocedure is a VATS procedure based on this particular combination ofpaired modular devices 5102. Based on the combination of the data fromthe patient's EMR, the list of medical supplies to be used in theprocedure, and the type of modular devices 5102 that connect to the hub,the surgical hub 5104 can generally infer the specific procedure thatthe surgical team will be performing. Once the surgical hub 5104 knowswhat specific procedure is being performed, the surgical hub 5104 canthen retrieve the steps of that procedure from a memory or from thecloud and then cross-reference the data it subsequently receives fromthe connected data sources 5126 (e.g., modular devices 5102 and patientmonitoring devices 5124) to infer what step of the surgical procedurethe surgical team is performing. Fifth 5210, the staff members attachthe EKG electrodes and other patient monitoring devices 5124 to thepatient. The EKG electrodes and other patient monitoring devices 5124are able to pair with the surgical hub 5104. As the surgical hub 5104begins receiving data from the patient monitoring devices 5124, thesurgical hub 5104 thus confirms that the patient is in the operatingtheater, as described in the process 5207 depicted in FIG. 25I, forexample. Sixth 5212, the medical personnel induce anesthesia in thepatient. The surgical hub 5104 can infer that the patient is underanesthesia based on data from the modular devices 5102 and/or patientmonitoring devices 5124, including EKG data, blood pressure data,ventilator data, or combinations thereof, as described in the process5191 depicted in FIG. 25H, for example. Upon completion of the sixthstep S212, the pre-operative portion of the lung segmentectomy procedureis completed and the operative portion begins.

Seventh 5214, the patient's lung that is being operated on is collapsed(while ventilation is switched to the contralateral lung). The surgicalhub 5104 can infer from the ventilator data that the patient's lung hasbeen collapsed, as described in the process 5221 depicted in FIG. 25J,for example. The surgical hub 5104 can infer that the operative portionof the procedure has commenced as it can compare the detection of thepatient's lung collapsing to the expected steps of the procedure (whichcan be accessed or retrieved previously) and thereby determine thatcollapsing the lung is the first operative step in this particularprocedure. Eighth 5216, the medical imaging device 5108 (e.g., a scope)is inserted and video from the medical imaging device is initiated. Thesurgical hub 5104 receives the medical imaging device data (i.e., videoor image data) through its connection to the medical imaging device.Upon receipt of the medical imaging device data, the surgical hub 5104can determine that the laparoscopic portion of the surgical procedurehas commenced. Further, the surgical hub 5104 can determine that theparticular procedure being performed is a segmentectomy, as opposed to alobectomy (note that a wedge procedure has already been discounted bythe surgical hub 5104 based on data received at the second step S204 ofthe procedure). The data from the medical imaging device 124 (FIG. 2)can be utilized to determine contextual information regarding the typeof procedure being performed in a number of different ways, including bydetermining the angle at which the medical imaging device is orientedwith respect to the visualization of the patient's anatomy, monitoringthe number or medical imaging devices being utilized (i.e., that areactivated and paired with the surgical hub 5104), and monitoring thetypes of visualization devices utilized. For example, one technique forperforming a VATS lobectomy places the camera in the lower anteriorcorner of the patient's chest cavity above the diaphragm, whereas onetechnique for performing a VATS segmentectomy places the camera in ananterior intercostal position relative to the segmental fissure. Usingpattern recognition or machine learning techniques, for example, thesituational awareness system can be trained to recognize the positioningof the medical imaging device according to the visualization of thepatient's anatomy. As another example, one technique for performing aVATS lobectomy utilizes a single medical imaging device, whereas anothertechnique for performing a VATS segmentectomy utilizes multiple cameras.As yet another example, one technique for performing a VATSsegmentectomy utilizes an infrared light source (which can becommunicably coupled to the surgical hub as part of the visualizationsystem) to visualize the segmental fissure, which is not utilized in aVATS lobectomy. By tracking any or all of this data from the medicalimaging device 5108, the surgical hub 5104 can thereby determine thespecific type of surgical procedure being performed and/or the techniquebeing used for a particular type of surgical procedure.

Ninth 5218, the surgical team begins the dissection step of theprocedure. The surgical hub 5104 can infer that the surgeon is in theprocess of dissecting to mobilize the patient's lung because it receivesdata from the RF or ultrasonic generator indicating that an energyinstrument is being fired. The surgical hub 5104 can cross-reference thereceived data with the retrieved steps of the surgical procedure todetermine that an energy instrument being fired at this point in theprocess (i.e., after the completion of the previously discussed steps ofthe procedure) corresponds to the dissection step. Tenth 5220, thesurgical team proceeds to the ligation step of the procedure. Thesurgical hub 5104 can infer that the surgeon is ligating arteries andveins because it receives data from the surgical stapling and cuttinginstrument indicating that the instrument is being fired. Similarly tothe prior step, the surgical hub 5104 can derive this inference bycross-referencing the receipt of data from the surgical stapling andcutting instrument with the retrieved steps in the process. Eleventh5222, the segmentectomy portion of the procedure is performed. Thesurgical hub 5104 can infer that the surgeon is transecting theparenchyma based on data from the surgical stapling and cuttinginstrument, including data from its cartridge. The cartridge data cancorrespond to the size or type of staple being fired by the instrument,for example. As different types of staples are utilized for differenttypes of tissues, the cartridge data can thus indicate the type oftissue being stapled and/or transected. In this case, the type of staplebeing fired is utilized for parenchyma (or other similar tissue types),which allows the surgical hub 5104 to infer that the segmentectomyportion of the procedure is being performed. Twelfth 5224, the nodedissection step is then performed. The surgical hub 5104 can infer thatthe surgical team is dissecting the node and performing a leak testbased on data received from the generator indicating that an RF orultrasonic instrument is being fired. For this particular procedure, anRF or ultrasonic instrument being utilized after parenchyma wastransected corresponds to the node dissection step, which allows thesurgical hub 5104 to make this inference. It should be noted thatsurgeons regularly switch back and forth between surgicalstapling/cutting instruments and surgical energy (i.e., RF orultrasonic) instruments depending upon the particular step in theprocedure because different instruments are better adapted forparticular tasks. Therefore, the particular sequence in which thestapling/cutting instruments and surgical energy instruments are usedcan indicate what step of the procedure the surgeon is performing. Uponcompletion of the twelfth step S224, the incisions and closed up and thepost-operative portion of the procedure begins.

Thirteenth 5226, the patient's anesthesia is reversed. The surgical hub5104 can infer that the patient is emerging from the anesthesia based onthe ventilator data (i.e., the patient's breathing rate beginsincreasing), for example. Lastly, the fourteenth step S228 is that themedical personnel remove the various patient monitoring devices 5124from the patient. The surgical hub 5104 can thus infer that the patientis being transferred to a recovery room when the hub loses EKG, BP, andother data from the patient monitoring devices 5124. As can be seen fromthe description of this illustrative procedure, the surgical hub 5104can determine or infer when each step of a given surgical procedure istaking place according to data received from the various data sources5126 that are communicably coupled to the surgical hub 5104.

In addition to utilizing the patient data from EMR database(s) to inferthe type of surgical procedure that is to be performed, as illustratedin the first step S202 of the timeline 5200 depicted in FIG. 27, thepatient data can also be utilized by a situationally aware surgical hub5104 to generate control adjustments for the paired modular devices5102. FIG. 28A illustrates a flow diagram depicting the process 5240 ofimporting patient data stored in an EMR database 5250 and derivinginferences 5256 therefrom, in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure. Further, FIG. 28B illustrates a flow diagramdepicting the process 5242 of determining control adjustments 5264corresponding to the derived inferences 5256 from FIG. 28A, inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In thefollowing description of the processes 5240, 5242, reference should alsobe made to FIG. 22.

As shown in FIG. 28A, the surgical hub 5104 retrieves the patientinformation (e.g., EMR) stored in a database 5250 to which the surgicalhub 5104 is communicably connected. The unredacted portion of thepatient data is removed 5252 from the surgical hub 5104, leavinganonymized, stripped patient data 5254 related to the patient'scondition and/or the surgical procedure to be performed. The unredactedpatient data is removed 5252 in order to maintain patient anonymity forthe processing of the data (including if the data is uploaded to thecloud for processing and/or data tracking for reports). The strippedpatient data 5254 can include any medical conditions that the patient issuffering from, the patient's medical history (including previoustreatments or procedures), medication that the patient is taking, andother such medically relevant details. The control circuit of thesurgical hub 5104 can then derive various inferences 5256 from thestripped patient data 5254, which can in turn be utilized by thesurgical hub 5104 to derive various control adjustments for the pairedmodular devices 5102. The derived inferences 5256 can be based uponindividual pieces of data or combinations of pieces of data. Further,the derived inferences 5256 may, in some cases, be redundant with eachother as some data may lead to the same inference. By integrating eachpatient's stripped patient data 5254 into the situational awarenesssystem, the surgical hub 5104 is thus able to generate pre-procedureadjustments to optimally control each of the modular devices 5102 basedon the unique circumstances associated with each individual patient. Inthe illustrated example, the stripped patient data 5254 includes that(i) the patient is suffering from emphysema, (ii) has high bloodpressure, (iii) is suffering from a small cell lung cancer, (iv) istaking warfarin (or another blood thinner), and/or (v) has receivedradiation pretreatment. In the illustrated example, the inferences 5256derived from the stripped patient data 5254 include that (i) the lungtissue will be more fragile than normal lung tissue, (ii) hemostasisissues are more likely, (iii) the patient is suffering from a relativelyaggressive cancer, (iv) hemostasis issues are more likely, and (v) thelung tissue will be stiffer and more prone to fracture, respectively.

After the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 receives oridentifies the implications 5256 that are derived from anonymizedpatient data, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104 is configuredto execute a process 5242 to control the modular devices 5102 in amanner consistent with the derived implications 5256. In the exampleshown in FIG. 28B, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5104interprets how the derived implications 5256 impacts the modular devices5102 and then communicates corresponding control adjustments to each ofthe modular devices 5102. In the example shown in FIG. 28B, the controladjustments include (i) adjusting the compression rate thresholdparameter of the surgical stapling and cutting instrument, (ii)adjusting the visualization threshold value of the surgical hub 5104 toquantify bleeding via the visualization system 108 (FIG. 2) (thisadjustment can apply to the visualization system 108 itself or as aninternal parameter of the surgical hub 5104), (iii) adjusts the powerand control algorithms of the combo generator module 140 (FIG. 3) forthe lung tissue and vessel tissue types, (iv) adjusts the margin rangesof the medical imaging device 124 (FIG. 2) to account for the aggressivecancer type, (v) notifies the surgical stapling and cutting instrumentof the margin parameter adjustment needed (the margin parametercorresponds to the distance or amount of tissue around the cancer thatwill be excised), and (vi) notifies the surgical stapling and cuttinginstrument that the tissue is potentially fragile, which causes thecontrol algorithm of the surgical stapling and cutting instrument toadjust accordingly. Furthermore, the data regarding the implications5256 derived from the anonymized patient data 5254 is considered by thesituational awareness system to infer contextual information 5260regarding the surgical procedure being performed. In the example shownin FIG. 28B, the situational awareness system further infers that theprocedure is a thoracic lung resection 5262, e.g., segmentectomy.

Determining where inefficiencies or ineffectiveness may reside in amedical facility's practice can be challenging because medicalpersonnel's efficiency in completing a surgical procedure, correlatingpositive patient outcomes with particular surgical teams or particulartechniques in performing a type of surgical procedure, and otherperformance measures are not easily quantified using legacy systems. Asone solution, the surgical hubs can be employed to track and store datapertaining to the surgical procedures that the surgical hubs are beingutilized in connection with and generate reports or recommendationsrelated to the tracked data. The tracked data can include, for example,the length of time spent during a particular procedure, the length oftime spent on a particular step of a particular procedure, the length ofdowntime between procedures, modular device(s) (e.g., surgicalinstruments) utilized during the course of a procedure, and the numberand type of surgical items consumed during a procedure (or stepthereof). Further, the tracked data can include, for example, theoperating theater in which the surgical hub is located, the medicalpersonnel associated with the particular event (e.g., the surgeon orsurgical team performing the surgical procedure), the day and time atwhich the particular event(s) occurred, and patient outcomes. This datacan be utilized to create performance metrics, which can be utilized todetect and then ultimately address inefficiencies or ineffectivenesswithin a medical facility's practice. In one exemplification, thesurgical hub includes a situational awareness system, as describedabove, that is configured to infer or determine information regarding aparticular event (e.g., when a particular step of a surgical procedureis being performed and/or how long the step took to complete) based ondata received from data sources connected to the surgical hub (e.g.,paired modular devices). The surgical hub can then store this trackeddata to provide reports or recommendations to users.

Aggregation and Reporting of Surgical Hub Data

FIG. 29 illustrates a block diagram of a computer-implementedinteractive surgical system 5700, in accordance with at least one aspectof the present disclosure. The system 5700 includes a number of surgicalhubs 5706 that, as described above, are able to detect and track datarelated to surgical procedures that the surgical hubs 5706 (and themodular devices paired to the surgical hubs 5706) are utilized inconnection with. In one exemplification, the surgical hubs 5706 areconnected to form local networks such that the data being tracked by thesurgical hubs 5706 is aggregated together across the network. Thenetworks of surgical hubs 5706 can be associated with a medicalfacility, for example. The data aggregated from the network of surgicalhubs 5706 can be analyzed to provide reports on data trends orrecommendations. For example, the surgical hubs 5706 of a first medicalfacility 5704 a are communicably connected to a first local database5708 a and the surgical hubs 5706 of a second medical facility 5704 bare communicably connected to a second local database 5708 b. Thenetwork of surgical hubs 5706 associated with the first medical facility5704 a can be distinct from the network of surgical hubs 5706 associatedwith the second medical facility 5704 b, such that the aggregated datafrom each network of surgical hubs 5706 corresponds to each medicalfacility 5704 a, 5704 b individually. A surgical hub 5706 or anothercomputer terminal communicably connected to the database 5708 a, 5708 bcan be configured to provide reports or recommendations based on theaggregated data associated with the respective medical facility 5704 a,5704 b. In this exemplification, the data tracked by the surgical hubs5706 can be utilized to, for example, report whether a particularincidence of a surgical procedure deviated from the average in-networktime to complete the particular procedure type.

In another exemplification, each surgical hub 5706 is configured toupload the tracked data to the cloud 5702, which then processes andaggregates the tracked data across multiple surgical hubs 5706, networksof surgical hubs 5706, and/or medical facilities 5704 a, 5704 b that areconnected to the cloud 5702. Each surgical hub 5706 can then be utilizedto provide reports or recommendations based on the aggregated data. Inthis exemplification, the data tracked by the surgical hubs 5706 can beutilized to, for example, report whether a particular incidence of asurgical procedure deviated from the average global time to complete theparticular procedure type.

In another exemplification, each surgical hub 5706 can further beconfigured to access the cloud 5702 to compare locally tracked data toglobal data aggregated from all of the surgical hubs 5706 that arecommunicably connected to the cloud 5702. Each surgical hub 5706 can beconfigured to provide reports or recommendations based on the comparisonbetween the tracked local data relative to local (i.e., in-network) orglobal norms. In this exemplification, the data tracked by the surgicalhubs 5706 can be utilized to, for example, report whether a particularincidence of a surgical procedure deviated from either the averagein-network time or the average global time to complete the particularprocedure type.

In one exemplification, each surgical hub 5706 or another computersystem local to the surgical hub 5706 is configured to locally aggregatethe data tracked by the surgical hubs 5706, store the tracked data, andgenerate reports and/or recommendations according to the tracked data inresponse to queries. In cases where the surgical hub 5706 is connectedto a medical facility network (which may include additional surgicalhubs 5706), the surgical hub 5706 can be configured to compare thetracked data with the bulk medical facility data. The bulk medicalfacility data can include EMR data and aggregated data from the localnetwork of surgical hubs 5706. In another exemplification, the cloud5702 is configured to aggregate the data tracked by the surgical hubs5706, store the tracked data, and generate reports and/orrecommendations according to the tracked data in response to queries.

Each surgical hub 5706 can provide reports regarding trends in the dataand/or provide recommendations on improving the efficiency oreffectiveness of the surgical procedures being performed. In variousexemplifications, the data trends and recommendations can be based ondata tracked by the surgical hub 5706 itself, data tracked across alocal medical facility network containing multiple surgical hubs 5706,or data tracked across a number of surgical hubs 5706 communicablyconnected to a cloud 5702. The recommendations provided by the surgicalhub 5706 can describe, for example, particular surgical instruments orproduct mixes to utilize for particular surgical procedures based oncorrelations between the surgical instruments/product mixes and patientoutcomes and procedural efficiency. The reports provided by the surgicalhub 5706 can describe, for example, whether a particular surgicalprocedure was performed efficiently relative to local or global norms,whether a particular type of surgical procedure being performed at themedical facility is being performed efficiently relative to globalnorms, and the average time taken to complete a particular surgicalprocedure or step of a surgical procedure for a particular surgicalteam.

In one exemplification, each surgical hub 5706 is configured todetermine when operating theater events occur (e.g., via a situationalawareness system) and then track the length of time spent on each event.An operating theater event is an event that a surgical hub 5706 candetect or infer the occurrence of. An operating theater event caninclude, for example, a particular surgical procedure, a step or portionof a surgical procedure, or downtime between surgical procedures. Theoperating theater events can be categorized according to an event type,such as a type of surgical procedure being performed, so that the datafrom individual procedures can be aggregated together to form searchabledata sets. FIG. 31 illustrates an example of a diagram 5400 depictingthe data tracked by the surgical hubs 5706 being parsed to provideincreasingly detailed metrics related to surgical procedures or the useof the surgical hub 5706 (as depicted further in FIGS. 32-36) for anillustrative data set. In one exemplification, the surgical hub 5706 isconfigured to determine whether a surgical procedure is being performedand then track both the length of time spent between procedures (i.e.,downtime) and the time spent on the procedures themselves. The surgicalhub 5706 can further be configured to determine and track the time spenton each of the individual steps taken by the medical personnel (e.g.,surgeons, nurses, orderlies) either between or during the surgicalprocedures. The surgical hub can determine when surgical procedures ordifferent steps of surgical procedures are being performed via asituational awareness system, which is described in further detailabove.

FIG. 30 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5300 for trackingdata associated with an operating theater event. In the followingdescription, description of the process 5300, reference should also bemade to FIG. 29. In one exemplification, the process 5300 can beexecuted by a control circuit of a surgical hub 206, as depicted in FIG.10 (processor 244). In yet another exemplification, the process 5300 canbe executed by a distributed computing system including a controlcircuit of a surgical hub 206 in combination with a control circuit of amodular device, such as the microcontroller 461 of the surgicalinstrument depicted FIG. 12, the microcontroller 620 of the surgicalinstrument depicted in FIG. 16, the control circuit 710 of the roboticsurgical instrument 700 depicted in FIG. 17, the control circuit 760 ofthe surgical instruments 750, 790 depicted in FIGS. 18 and 19, or thecontroller 838 of the generator 800 depicted in FIG. 20. For economy,the following description of the process 5300 will be described as beingexecuted by the control circuit of a surgical hub 5706; however, itshould be understood that the description of the process 5300encompasses all of the aforementioned exemplifications.

The control circuit of the surgical hub 5706 executing the process 5300receives 5302 perioperative data from the modular devices and other datasources (e.g., databases and patient monitoring devices) that arecommunicably coupled to the surgical hub 5706. The control circuit thendetermines 5304 whether an event has occurred via, for example, asituational awareness system that derives contextual information fromthe received 5302 data. The event can be associated with an operatingtheater in which the surgical hub 5706 in being used. The event caninclude, for example, a surgical procedure, a step or portion of asurgical procedure, or downtime between surgical procedures or steps ofa surgical procedure. Furthermore, the control circuit tracks dataassociated with the particular event, such as the length of time of theevent, the surgical instruments and/or other medical products utilizedduring the course of the event, and the medical personnel associatedwith the event. The surgical hub 5706 can further determine thisinformation regarding the event via, for example, the situationalawareness system.

For example, the control circuit of a situationally aware surgical hub5706 could determine that anesthesia is being induced in a patientthrough data received from one or more modular devices 5102 (FIG. 22)and/or patient monitoring devices 5124 (FIG. 22). The control circuitcould then determine that the operative portion of the surgicalprocedure has begun upon detecting that an ultrasonic surgicalinstrument or RF electrosurgical instrument has been activated. Thecontrol circuit could thus determine the length of time for theanesthesia inducement step according to the difference in time betweenthe beginning of that particular step and the beginning of the firststep in the operative portion of the surgical procedure. Likewise, thecontrol circuit could determine how long the particular operative stepin the surgical procedure took according to when the control circuitdetects the subsequent step in the procedure begins. Further, thecontrol circuit could determine how long the overall operative portionof the surgical procedure took according to when the control circuitdetects that the final operative step in the procedure ends. The controlcircuit can also determine what surgical instruments (and other modulardevices 5102) are being utilized during the course of each step in thesurgical procedure by tracking the activation and/or use of theinstruments during each of the steps. The control circuit can alsodetect the completion of the surgical procedure by, for example,detecting when the patient monitoring devices 5124 have been removedfrom the patient (as in step fourteen 5228 of FIG. 27). The controlcircuit can then track the downtime between procedures according to whenthe control circuit infers that the subsequent surgical procedure hasbegun.

The control circuit executing the process 5300 then aggregates 5306 thedata associated with the event according to the event type. In oneexemplification, the aggregated 5306 data can be stored in a memory 249(FIG. 10) of the surgical hub 5706. In another exemplification, thecontrol circuit is configured to upload the data associated with theevent to the cloud 5702, whereupon the data is aggregated 5306 accordingto the event type for all of the data uploaded by each of the surgicalhubs 5706 connected to the cloud 5702. In yet another exemplification,the control circuit is configured to upload the data associated with theevent to a database associated with a local network of the surgical hubs5706, whereupon the data is aggregated 5306 according to the event typefor all of the data uploaded across the local network of surgical hubs5706.

In one exemplification, the control circuit is further configured tocompare the data associated with the event type to baseline dataassociated with the event type. The baseline data can correspond to, forexample, average values associated with the particular event type for aparticular hospital, network of hospitals, or across the entirety of thecloud 5702. The baseline data can be stored on the surgical hub 5706 orretrieved by the surgical 5706 as the perioperative data is received5302 thereby.

Aggregating 5306 the data from each of the events according to the eventtype allows individual incidents of the event type to thereafter becompared against the historical or aggregated data to determine whendeviations from the norm for an event type occur. The control circuitfurther determines 5308 whether it has received a query. If the controlcircuit does not receive a query, then the process 5300 continues alongthe NO branch and loops back to continue receiving 5302 data from thedata sources. If the control circuit does receive a query for aparticular event type, the process 5300 continues along the YES branchand the control circuit then retrieves the aggregated data for theparticular event type and displays 5310 the appropriate aggregated datacorresponding to the query. In various exemplifications, the controlcircuit can retrieve the appropriate aggregated data from the memory ofthe surgical hub 5706, the cloud 5702, or a local database 5708 a, 5708b.

In one example, the surgical hub 5706 is configured to determine alength of time for a particular procedure via the aforementionedsituational awareness system according to data received from one or moremodular devices utilized in the performance of the surgical procedure(and other data sources). Each time a surgical procedure is completed,the surgical hub 5706 uploads or stores the length of time required tocomplete the particular type of surgical procedure, which is thenaggregated with the data from every other instance of the type ofprocedure. In some aspects, the surgical hub 5706, cloud 5702, and/orlocal database 5708 a, 5708 b can then determine an average or expectedprocedure length for the particular type of procedure from theaggregated data. When the surgical hub 5706 receives a query as to theparticular type of procedure thereafter, the surgical hub 5706 can thenprovide feedback as to the average (or expected) procedure length orcompare an individual incidence of the procedure type to the averageprocedure length to determine whether the particular incidence deviatestherefrom.

In some aspects, the surgical hub 5706 can be configured toautomatically compare each incidence of an event type to average orexpected norms for the event type and then provide feedback (e.g.,display a report) when a particular incidence of the event type deviatesfrom the norm. For example, the surgical hub 5706 can be configured toprovide feedback whenever a surgical procedure (or a step of thesurgical procedure) deviates from the expected length of time tocomplete the surgical procedure (or the step of the surgical procedure)by more than a set amount.

Referring back to FIG. 31, the surgical hub 5706 could be configured totrack, store, and display data regarding the number of patients operatedon (or procedures completed) per day per operating theater (bar graph5402 depicted further in FIG. 32), for example. The surgical hub 5706could be configured to further parse the number of patients operated on(or procedures completed) per day per operating theater and can befurther parsed according to the downtime between the procedures on agiven day (bar graph 5404 depicted further in FIG. 33) or the averageprocedure length on a given day (bar graph 5408 depicted further in FIG.35). The surgical hub 5706 can be further configured to provide adetailed breakdown of the downtime between procedures according to, forexample, the number and length of the downtime time periods and thesubcategories of the actions or steps during each time period (bar graph5406 depicted further in FIG. 34). The surgical hub 5706 can be furtherconfigured to provide a detailed breakdown of the average procedurelength on a given day according to each individual procedure and thesubcategory of actions or steps during each procedure (bar graph 5410depicted further in FIG. 36). The various graphs shown in FIGS. 31-36can represent data tracked by the surgical hub 5706 and can further begenerated automatically or displayed by the surgical hub 5706 inresponse to queries submitted by users.

FIG. 32 illustrates an example bar graph 5402 depicting the number ofpatients 5420 operated on relative to the days of the week 5422 fordifferent operating rooms 5424, 5426. The surgical hub 5706 can beconfigured to provide (e.g., via a display) the number of patients 5420operated on or procedures that are completed in connection with eachsurgical hub 5706, which can be tracked through a situational awarenesssystem or accessing the hospital's EMR database, for example. In oneexemplification, the surgical hub 5706 can further be configured tocollate this data from different surgical hubs 5706 within the medicalfacility that are communicably connected together, which allows eachindividual surgical hub to present the aggregated data of the medicalfacility on a hub-by-hub or operating theater-by-theater basis. In oneexemplification, the surgical hub 5706 can be configured to compare oneor more tracked metrics to a threshold value (which may be unique toeach tracked metric). When at least one of the tracked metrics exceedsthe threshold value (i.e., either increases above or drops below thethreshold value, as appropriate for the particular tracked metric), thenthe surgical hub 5706 provides a visual, audible, or tactile alert tonotify a user of such. For example, the surgical hub 5706 can beconfigured to indicate when the number of patients or proceduresdeviates from an expected, average, or threshold value. For example,FIG. 32 depicts the number of patients on Tuesday 5428 and Thursday 5430for a first operating theater 5424 as being highlighted for being belowexpectation. Conversely, no days are highlighted for a second operatingtheater 5426 for this particular week, which means in this context thatthe number of patients for each day falls within expectations.

FIG. 33 illustrates a bar graph 5404 depicting the total downtimebetween procedures 5432 relative to the days of a week 5434 for aparticular operating room. The surgical hub 5706 can be configured totrack the length of downtime between surgical procedures through asituational awareness system, for example. The situational awarenesssystem can detect or infer when each particular downtime instance isoccurring and then track the length of time for each instance ofdowntime. The surgical hub 5706 can thereby determine the total downtime5432 for each day of the week 5434 by summing the downtime instances foreach particular day. In one exemplification, the surgical hub 5706 canbe configured to provide an alert when the total length of downtime on agiven day (or another unit of time) deviates from an expected, average,or threshold value. For example, FIG. 33 depicts the total downtime 5432on Tuesday 5436 and Friday 5438 as being highlighted for deviating froman expected length of time.

FIG. 34 illustrates a bar graph 5406 depicting the total downtime 5432per day of the week 5434 as depicted in FIG. 33 broken down according toeach individual downtime instance. The number of downtime instances andthe length of time for each downtime instance can be represented withineach day's total downtime. For example, on Tuesday in the firstoperating theater (OR1) there were four instances of downtime betweenprocedures and the magnitude of the first downtime instance indicatesthat it was longer than the other three instances. In oneexemplification, the surgical hub 5706 is configured to further indicatethe particular actions or steps taken during a selected downtimeinstance. For example, in FIG. 34, Thursday's second downtime instance5440 has been selected, which then causes a callout 5442 to be displayedindicating that this particular downtime instance consisted ofperforming the initial set-up of the operating theater, administeringanesthesia, and prepping the patient. As with the downtime instancesthemselves, the relative size or length of the actions or steps withinthe callout 5442 can correspond to the length of time for eachparticular action or step. The detail views for the downtime instancescan be displayed when a user selects the particular instance, forexample.

FIG. 35 illustrates a bar graph 5408 depicting the average procedurelength 5444 relative to the days of a week 5446 for a particularoperating theater. The surgical hub 5706 can be configured to track theaverage procedure length through a situational awareness system, forexample. The situational awareness system can detect or infer when eachparticular step of a surgical procedure is occurring (see FIG. 27, forexample) and then track the length of time for each of the steps. Thesurgical hub 5706 can thereby determine the total downtime 5432 for eachday of the week 5434 by summing the lengths of the downtime instancesfor the particular day. In one exemplification, the surgical hub 5706can be configured to indicate when the average procedure length deviatesfrom an expected value. For example, FIG. 35 depicts Thursday's averageprocedure length 5448 for the first operating room (OR1) as beinghighlighted for deviating from an expected length of time.

FIG. 36 illustrates a bar graph 5410 depicting the procedure lengths5450 relative to procedure types 5452. The depicted procedure lengths5450 can either represent the average procedure lengths for particulartypes of procedures or the procedure lengths for each individualprocedure performed on a given day in a given operating theater. Theprocedure lengths 5450 for different procedure types 5452 can then becompared. Further, the average lengths for the steps in a procedure type5452 or the length for each particular step in a particular procedurecan be displayed when a procedure is selected. Further, the proceduretypes 5452 can be tagged with various identifiers for parsing andcomparing different data sets. For example, in FIG. 36 the firstprocedure 5454 corresponds to a colorectal procedure (specifically, alow anterior resection) where there was a preoperative identification ofabdominal adhesions. The second procedure 5456 corresponds to a thoracicprocedure (specifically, a segmentectomy). It should be noted again thatthe procedures depicted in FIG. 36 can represent the lengths of time forindividual procedures or the average lengths of time for all of theprocedures for the given procedure types. Each of the procedures canfurther be broken down according to the length of time for each step inthe procedure. For example, FIG. 36 depicts the second procedure 5456 (athoracic segmentectomy) as including an icon or graphical representation5458 of the length of time spent on the dissect vessels, ligate (thevessels), nodal dissection, and closing steps of the surgical procedure.As with the procedure lengths themselves, the relative size or length ofthe steps within the graphical representation 5442 can correspond to thelength of time for each particular step of the surgical procedure. Thedetail views for the steps of the surgical procedures can be displayedwhen a user selects the particular procedure, for example. In oneexemplification, the surgical hub 5706 can be configured to identifywhen a length of time to complete a given step in the procedure deviatesfrom an expected length of time. For example, FIG. 36 depicts the nodaldissection step as being highlighted for deviating from an expectedlength of time.

In one exemplification, an analytics package of the surgical hub 5706can be configured to provide the user with usage data and resultscorrelations related to the surgical procedures (or downtime betweenprocedures). For example, the surgical hub 5706 can be configured todisplay methods or suggestions to improve the efficiency oreffectiveness of a surgical procedure. As another example, the surgicalhub 5706 can be configured to display methods to improve costallocation. FIGS. 37-42 depict examples of various metrics that can betracked by the surgical hub 5706, which can then be utilized to providemedical facility personnel suggestions for inventory utilization ortechnique outcomes. For example, a surgical hub 5706 could provide asurgeon with a suggestion pertaining to a particular technique outcomeprior to or at the beginning of a surgical procedure based on themetrics tracked by the surgical hub 5706.

FIG. 37 illustrates a bar graph 5460 depicting the average completiontime 5462 for particular procedural steps 5464 for different types ofthoracic procedures. The surgical hub 5706 can be configured to trackand store historical data for different types of procedures andcalculate the average time to complete the procedure (or an individualstep thereof). For example, FIG. 37 depicts the average completion time5462 for thoracic segmentectomy 5466, wedge 5468, and lobectomy 5470procedures. For each type of procedure, the surgical hub 5706 can trackthe average time to complete each step thereof. In this particularexample, the dissection, vessel transection, and node dissection stepsare indicated for each type of procedure. In addition to tracking andproviding the average time for the steps of the procedure types, thesurgical hub 5706 can additionally track other metrics or historicaldata, such as the complication rate for each procedure type (i.e., therate of procedures having at least one complication as defined by thesurgical hub 5706 or the surgeon). Additional tracked metrics for eachprocedure type, such as the complication rate, can also be depicted forcomparison between the different procedure types.

FIG. 38 illustrates a bar graph 5472 depicting the procedure time 5474relative to procedure types 5476. The surgical hub 5706 can beconfigured to track and store historical data or metrics for differentprocedure types 5476 or classes, which can encompass multiple subtypesof procedures. For example, FIG. 38 depicts the procedure time 5474 forsurgical procedures classified as a thoracic 5478, bariatric 5480, orcolorectal 5482 procedure. In various exemplifications, the surgical hub5706 can output the procedure time 5474 for the procedureclassifications expressed in terms of either the total length of time orthe average time spent on the given procedure types 5476. The analyticspackage of the surgical hub 5706 can, for example, provide this data tothe surgeons, hospital officials, or medical personnel to track theefficiency of the queried procedures. For example, FIG. 38 depictsbariatric procedures 5480 as taking a lower average time (i.e., beingmore time efficient) than either thoracic procedures 5478 or colorectalprocedures 5482.

FIG. 39 illustrates a bar graph 5484 depicting operating room downtime5486 relative to the time of day 5488. Relatedly, FIG. 40 illustrates abar graph 5494 depicting operating room downtime 5496 relative to theday of the week 5498. Operating room downtime 5486, 5496 can beexpressed in, for example, a length of a unit of time or relativeutilization (i.e., percentage of time that the operating room is inuse). The operating room downtime data can encompass an individualoperating room or an aggregation of multiple operating rooms at amedical facility. As discussed above, a surgical hub 5706 can beconfigured to track whether a surgical procedure is being performed inthe operating theater associated with the surgical hub 5706 (includingthe length of time that a surgical procedure is or is not beingperformed) utilizing a situational awareness system, for example. Asshown in FIGS. 39 and 40, the surgical hub 5706 can provide an output(e.g., bar graphs 5484, 5494 or other graphical representations of data)depicting the tracked data pertaining to when the operating room isbeing utilized (i.e., when a surgical procedure is being performed)and/or when there is downtime between procedures. Such data can beutilized to identify ineffectiveness or inefficiencies in performingsurgical procedures, cleaning or preparing operating theaters forsurgery, scheduling, and other metrics associated with operating theateruse. For example, FIG. 39 depicts a comparative increase in operatingroom downtime 5486 at a first instance 5490 from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.and a second instance 5492 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. As another example, FIG.40 depicts a comparative increase in operating room downtime 5496 onMondays 5500 and Fridays 5502. In various exemplifications, the surgicalhub 5706 can provide operating theater downtime data for a particularinstance (i.e., a specific time, day, week, etc.) or an averageoperating theater downtime data for a category of instances (i.e.,aggregated data for a day, time, week, etc.). Hospital officials orother medical personnel thus could use this data to identify specificinstances where an inefficiency may have occurred or identify trends inparticular days and/or times of day where there may be inefficiencies.From such data, the hospital officials or other medical personnel couldthen investigate to identify the specific reasons for these increaseddowntimes and take corrective action to address the identified reason.

In various exemplifications, the surgical hub 5706 can be configured todisplay data in response to queries in a variety of different formats(e.g., bar graphs, pie graphs, infographics). FIG. 41 illustrates a pairof pie charts depicting the percentage of time that the operatingtheater is utilized. The operating theater utilization percentage canencompass an individual operating theater or an aggregation of multipleoperating theaters (e.g., the operating rooms at a medical facility orevery operating room for all medical facilities having surgical hubs5706 connected to the cloud 5702). As discussed above, a surgical hub5706 can be configured to determine when a surgical procedure is or isnot being performed (i.e., whether the operating theater associated withthe surgical hub 5706 is being utilized) using a situational awarenesssystem, for example. In addition to expressing operating theaterutilization in terms of an average or absolute amount for different timeperiods (as depicted in FIGS. 39-40), the surgical hub 5706 canadditionally express operating theater utilization in terms of apercentage or relative amount compared to a maximum possibleutilization. As above, the operating theater utilization can be parsedfor particular time periods, including the overall utilization (i.e.,the total historical percentage of time in use) for the particularoperating theater (or groups of operating theaters) or the utilizationover the span of a particular time period. As shown in FIG. 41, a firstpie chart 5504 depicts the overall operating theater utilization 5508(85%) and a second pie chart 5506 depicts the operating theaterutilization for the prior week 5510 (75%). Hospital officials and othermedical personnel could use this data to identify that there may havebeen some inefficiency that occurred in the prior week that caused theparticular operating theater (or group of operating theaters) to beutilized less efficiently compared to the historical average so thatfurther investigations can be carried out to identify the specificreasons for this decreased utilization.

In some exemplifications, the surgical hub 5706 is configured to trackdetect and track the number of surgical items that are utilized duringthe course of a surgical procedure. This data can then be aggregated anddisplayed (either automatically or in response to a query) according to,for example, a particular time period (e.g., per day or per week) or fora particular surgical procedure type (e.g., thoracic procedures orabdominal procedures). FIG. 42 illustrates a bar graph 5512 depictingconsumed and unused surgical items 5514 relative to procedure type 5516.The surgical hub 5706 can be configured to determine or infer whatsurgical items are being consumed during the course of each surgicalprocedure via a situational awareness system. The situational awarenesssystem can determine or receive the list of surgical items to be used ina procedure (e.g., see FIG. 26B), determine or infer when each procedure(and steps thereof) begins and ends, and determine when a particularsurgical item is being utilized according to the procedural step beingperformed. The inventory of surgical items that are consumed or unusedduring the course of a surgical procedure can be represented in terms ofthe total number of surgical items or the average number of surgicalitems per procedure type 5516, for example. The consumed surgical itemscan include non-reusable items that are utilized during the course of asurgical procedure. The unused surgical items can include additionalitems that are not utilized during the procedure(s) or scrap items. Theprocedure type can correspond to broad classifications of procedures ora specific procedure type or technique for performing a procedure type.For example, in FIG. 42 the procedure types 5516 being compared arethoracic, colorectal, and bariatric procedures. For each of theseprocedure types 5516, the average number of consumed and unused surgicalitems 5514 are both provided. In one aspect, the surgical hub 5706 canbe configured to further parse the consumed and/or unused surgical items5514 by the specific item type. In one exemplification, the surgical hub5706 can provide a detailed breakdown of the surgical items 5514 makingup each item category for each surgical procedure type 5516 andgraphically represent the different categories of surgical items 5514.For example, in FIG. 42, the unused surgical items are depicted indashed lines and the consumed surgical items are depicted in solidlines. In one exemplification, the surgical hub 5706 is configured tofurther indicate the specific within a category for a particularprocedure type 5516. For example, in FIG. 34, the consumed itemscategory for the thoracic procedure type has been selected, which thencauses a callout 5520 to be displayed listing the particular surgicalitems in the category: stapler cartridges, sponges, saline, fibrinsealants, surgical sutures, and stapler buttress material. Furthermore,the callout 5520 can be configured to provide the quantities of thelisted items in the category, which may be the average or absolutequantities of the items (either consumed or unused) for the particularprocedure type.

In one exemplification, the surgical hub 5706 can be configured toaggregate tracked data in a redacted format (i.e., with anypatient-identifying information stripped out). Such bulk data can beutilized for academic or business analysis purposes. Further, thesurgical hub 5706 can be configured to upload the redacted or anonymizeddata to a local database of the medical facility in which the surgicalhub 5706 is located, an external database system, or the cloud 5702,whereupon the anonymized data can be accessed by user/clientapplications on demand. The anonymized data can be utilized to compareoutcomes and efficiencies within a hospital or between geographicregions, for example.

The process 5300 depicted in FIG. 30 improves scheduling efficiency byallowing the surgical hubs 5706 to automatically store and providegranular detail on correlations between lengths of time required forvarious procedures according to particular days, particular types ofprocedures, particular hospital staff members, and other such metrics.This process 5300 also reduces surgical item waste by allowing thesurgical hubs 5706 to provide alerts when the amount of surgical itemsbeing consumed, either on a per-procedure basis or as a category, aredeviating from the expected amounts. Such alerts can be provided eitherautomatically or in response to receiving a query.

FIG. 43 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5350 for storingdata from the modular devices and patient information database forcomparison. In the following description, description of the process5350, reference should also be made to FIG. 29. In one exemplification,the process 5350 can be executed by a control circuit of a surgical hub206, as depicted in FIG. 10 (processor 244). In yet anotherexemplification, the process 5350 can be executed by a distributedcomputing system including a control circuit of a surgical hub 206 incombination with a control circuit of a modular device, such as themicrocontroller 461 of the surgical instrument depicted FIG. 12, themicrocontroller 620 of the surgical instrument depicted in FIG. 16, thecontrol circuit 710 of the robotic surgical instrument 700 depicted inFIG. 17, the control circuit 760 of the surgical instruments 750, 790depicted in FIGS. 18 and 19, or the controller 838 of the generator 800depicted in FIG. 20. For economy, the following description of theprocess 5350 will be described as being executed by the control circuitof a surgical hub 5706; however, it should be understood that thedescription of the process 5350 encompasses all of the aforementionedexemplifications.

The control circuit executing the process 5350 receives data from thedata sources, such as the modular device(s) and the patient informationdatabase(s) (e.g., EMR databases) that are communicably coupled to thesurgical hub 5706. The data from the modular devices can include, forexample, usage data (e.g., data pertaining to how often the modulardevice has been utilized, what procedures the modular device has beenutilized in connection with, and who utilized the modular devices) andperformance data (e.g., data pertaining to the internal state of themodular device and the tissue being operated on). The data from thepatient information databases can include, for example, patient data(e.g., data pertaining to the patient's age, sex, and medical history)and patient outcome data (e.g., data pertaining to the outcomes from thesurgical procedure). In some exemplifications, the control circuit cancontinuously receive 5352 data from the data sources before, during, orafter a surgical procedure.

As the data is received 5352, the control circuit aggregates 5354 thedata in comparison groups of types of data. In other words, the controlcircuit causes a first type of data to be stored in association with asecond type of data. However, more than two different types of data canbe aggregated 5354 together into a comparison group. For example, thecontrol circuit could store a particular type of performance data for aparticular type of modular device (e.g., the force to fire for asurgical cutting and stapling instrument or the characterization of theenergy expended by an RF or ultrasonic surgical instrument) inassociation with patient data, such as sex, age (or age range), acondition (e.g., emphysema) associated with the patient. In oneexemplification, when the data is aggregated 5354 into comparisongroups, the data is anonymized such that all patient-identifyinginformation is removed from the data. This allows the data aggregated5354 into comparison groups to be utilized for studies, withoutcompromising confidential patient information. The various types of datacan be aggregated 5354 and stored in association with each other inlookup tables, arrays, and other such formats. In one exemplification,the received 5352 data is automatically aggregated 5354 into comparisongroups. Automatically aggregating 5354 and storing the data allows thesurgical hub 5706 to quickly return results for queries and the groupsof data to be exported for analysis according to specifically desireddata types.

When the control circuit receives 5356 a query for a comparison betweentwo or more of the tracked data types, the process 5350 proceeds alongthe YES branch. The control circuit then retrieves the particularcombination of the data types stored in association with each other andthen displays 5358 a comparison (e.g., a graph or other graphicalrepresentation of the data) between the subject data types. If thecontrol circuit does not receive 5356 a query, the process 5350continues along the NO branch and the control circuit continuesreceiving 5352 data from the data sources.

In one exemplification, the control circuit can be configured toautomatically quantify a correlation between the received 5352 datatypes. In such aspects, the control circuit can calculate a correlationcoefficient (e.g., the Pearson's coefficient) between pairs of datatypes. In one aspect, the control circuit can be configured toautomatically display a report providing suggestions or other feedbackif the quantified correlation exceeds a particular threshold value. Inone aspect, the control circuit of the surgical hub 5706 can beconfigured to display a report on quantified correlations exceeding aparticular threshold value upon receiving a query or request from auser.

In one exemplification, a surgical hub 5706 can compile information onprocedures that the surgical hub 5706 was utilized in the performanceof, communicate with other surgical hubs 5706 within its network (e.g.,a local network of a medical facility or a number of surgical hubs 5706connected by the cloud 5702), and compare results between type ofsurgical procedures or particular operating theaters, doctors, ordepartments. Each surgical hub 5706 can calculate and analyzeutilization, efficiency, and comparative results (relative to allsurgical hubs 5706 across a hospital network, a region, etc.). Forexample, the surgical hub 5706 can display efficiency and comparativedata, including operating theater downtime, operating theater clean-upand recycle time, step-by-step completion timing for procedures(including highlighting which procedural steps take the longest, forexample), average times for surgeons to complete procedures (includingparsing the completion times on a procedure-by-procedure basis),historical completion times (e.g., for completing classes of procedures,specific procedures, or specific steps within a procedure), and/oroperating theater utilization efficiency (i.e., the time efficiency froma procedure to a subsequent procedure). The data that is accessed andshared across networks by the surgical hubs 5706 can include theanonymized data aggregated into comparison groups, as discussed above.

For example, the surgical hub 5706 can be utilized to perform studies ofperformance by instrument type or cartridge type for various procedures.As another example, the surgical hub 5706 can be utilized to performstudies on the performance of individual surgeons. As yet anotherexample, the surgical hub 5706 can be utilized to perform studies on theeffectiveness of different surgical procedures according to patients'characteristics or disease states.

In another exemplification, a surgical hub 5706 can provide suggestionson streamlining processes based on tracked data. For example, thesurgical hub 5706 can suggest different product mixes according to thelength of certain procedures or steps within a procedure (e.g., suggesta particular item that is more appropriate for long procedure steps),suggest more cost effective product mixes based on the utilization ofitems, and/or suggest kitting or pre-grouping certain items to lowerset-up time. In another exemplification, a surgical hub 5706 can compareoperating theater utilization across different surgical groups in orderto better balance high volume surgical groups with surgical groups thathave more flexible bandwidth. In yet another aspect, the surgical hub5706 could be put in a forecasting mode that would allow the surgicalhub 5706 to monitor upcoming procedure preparation and scheduling, thennotify the administration or department of upcoming bottlenecks or allowthem to plan for scalable staffing. The forecasting mode can be basedon, for example, the anticipated future steps of the current surgicalprocedure that is being performed using the surgical hub 5706, which canbe determined by a situational awareness system.

In another exemplification, a surgical hub 5706 can be utilized as atraining tool to allow users to compare their procedure timing to othertypes of individuals or specific individuals within their department(e.g., a resident could compare his or her timing to a particularspecialist or the average time for a specialist within the hospital) orthe department average times. For example, users could identify whatsteps of a surgical procedure they are spending an inordinate amount oftime on and, thus, what steps of the surgical procedure that they needto improve upon.

In one exemplification, all processing of stored data is performedlocally on each surgical hub 5706. In another exemplification, eachsurgical hub 5706 is part of a distributed computing network, whereineach individual surgical hub 5706 compiles and analyzes its stored dataand then communicates the data to the requesting surgical hub 5706. Adistributed computing network could permit fast parallel processing. Inanother exemplification, each surgical hub 5706 is communicablyconnected to a cloud 5702, which can be configured to receive the datafrom each surgical hub 5706 and then perform the necessary processing(data aggregation, calculations, and so on) on the data.

The process 5350 depicted in FIG. 43 improves the ability to determinewhen procedures are being performed inefficiently by allowing thesurgical hubs 5706 to provide alerts when particular procedures, eitheron a per-procedure basis or as category, are deviating from the expectedtimes to complete the procedures. Such alerts can be provided eitherautomatically or in response to receiving a query. This process 5350also improves the ability to perform studies on what surgicalinstruments and surgical procedure techniques provide the best patientoutcomes by automatically tracking and indexing such data ineasily-retrievable and reportable formats.

Some systems described herein offload the data processing that controlsthe modular devices (e.g., surgical instruments) from the modulardevices themselves to an external computing system (e.g., a surgicalhub) and/or a cloud. However in some exemplifications, some modulardevices can sample data (e.g., from the sensors of the surgicalinstruments) at a faster rate that the rate at which the data can betransmitted to and processed by a surgical hub. As one solution, thesurgical hub and the surgical instruments (or other modular devices) canutilize a distributed computing system where at least a portion of thedata processing is performed locally on the surgical instrument. Thiscan avoid data or communication bottlenecks between the instrument andthe surgical hub by allowing the onboard processor of the surgicalinstrument to handle at least some of the data processing when the datasampling rate is exceeding the rate at which the data can be transmittedto the surgical hub. In some exemplifications, the distributed computingsystem can cease distributing the processing between the surgical huband the surgical instrument and instead have the processing be executedsolely onboard the surgical instrument. The processing can be executedsolely by the surgical instrument in situations where, for example, thesurgical hub needs to allocate its processing capabilities to othertasks or the surgical instrument is sampling data at a very high rateand it has the capabilities to execute all of the data processingitself.

Similarly, the data processing for controlling the modular devices, suchas surgical instruments, can be taxing for an individual surgical hub toperform. If the surgical hub's processing of the control algorithms forthe modular devices cannot keep pace with the use of the modulardevices, then the modular devices will not perform adequately becausetheir control algorithms will either not be updated as needed or theupdates to the control algorithms will lag behind the actual use of theinstrument. As one solution, the surgical hubs can be configured toutilize a distributed computing system where at least a portion of theprocessing is performed across multiple separate surgical hubs. This canavoid data or communication bottlenecks between the modular devices andthe surgical hub by allowing each surgical hub to utilize the networkedprocessing power of multiple surgical hubs, which can increase the rateat which the data is processed and thus the rate at which the controlalgorithm adjustments can be transmitted by the surgical hub to thepaired modular devices. In addition to distributing the computingassociated with controlling the various modular devices connected to thesurgical hubs, a distributed computing system can also dynamically shiftcomputing resources between multiple surgical hubs in order to analyzetracked data in response to queries from users and perform other suchfunctions. The distributed computing system for the surgical hubs canfurther be configured to dynamically shift data processing resourcesbetween the surgical hubs when any particular surgical hub becomesovertaxed.

The modular devices that are communicably connectable to the surgicalhub can include sensors, memories, and processors that are coupled tothe memories and configured to receive and analyze data sensed by thesensors. The surgical hub can further include a processor coupled to amemory that is configured to receive (through the connection between themodular device and the surgical hub) and analyze the data sensed by thesensors of the modular device. In one exemplification, the data sensedby the modular device is processed externally to the modular device(e.g., external to a handle assembly of a surgical instrument) by acomputer that is communicably coupled to the modular device. Forexample, the advanced energy algorithms for controlling the operation ofa surgical instrument can be processed by an external computing system,rather than on a controller embedded in the surgical instrument (such asinstrument using an Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) processor). The externalcomputer system processing the data sensed by the modular devices caninclude the surgical hub to which the modular devices are paired and/ora cloud computing system. In one exemplification, data sampled at aparticular rate (e.g., 20 Ms/sec) and a particular resolution (e.g., 12bits resolution) by a surgical instrument is decimated and thentransmitted over a link to the surgical hub to which the surgicalinstrument is paired. Based on this received data, the control circuitof the surgical hub then determines the appropriate control adjustmentsfor the surgical instrument, such as controlling power for an ultrasonicsurgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument, setting motortermination points for a motor-driven surgical instrument, and so on.The control adjustments are then transmitted to the surgical instrumentfor application thereon.

Distributed Processing

FIG. 44 illustrates a diagram of a distributed computing system 5600.The distributed computing system 5600 includes a set of nodes 5602 a,5602 b, 5602 c that are communicably coupled by a distributedmulti-party communication protocol such that they execute a shared ordistributed computer program by passing messages therebetween. Althoughthree nodes 5602 a, 5602 b, 5602 c are depicted, the distributedcomputing system 5600 can include any number of nodes 5602 a, 5602 b,5602 c that are communicably connected together. Each of the nodes 5602a, 5602 b, 5602 c comprises a respective memory 5606 a, 5606 b, 5606 cand processor 5604 a, 5604 b, 5604 c coupled thereto. The processors5604 a, 5604 b, 5604 c execute the distributed multi-party communicationprotocol, which is stored at least partially in the memories 5606 a,5606 b, 5606 c. Each node 5602 a, 5602 b, 5602 c can represent either amodular device or a surgical hub. Therefore, the depicted diagramrepresents aspects wherein various combinations of surgical hubs and/ormodular devices are communicably coupled. In various exemplifications,the distributed computing system 5600 can be configured to distributethe computing associated with controlling the modular device(s) (e.g.,advanced energy algorithms) over the modular device(s) and/or thesurgical hub(s) to which the modular device(s) are connected. In otherwords, the distributed computing system 5600 embodies a distributedcontrol system for controlling the modular device(s) and/or surgicalhub(s).

In some exemplifications, the modular device(s) and surgical hub(s)utilize data compression for their communication protocols. Wirelessdata transmission over sensor networks can consume a significant amountof energy and/or processing resources compared to data computation onthe device itself. Thus data compression can be utilized to reduce thedata size at the cost of extra processing time on the device. In oneexemplification, the distributed computing system 5600 utilizes temporalcorrelation for sensing data, data transformation from one dimension totwo dimension, and data separation (e.g., upper 8 bit and lower 8 bitdata). In another exemplification, the distributed computing system 5600utilizes a collection tree protocol for data collection from differentnodes 5602 a, 5602 b, 5602 c having sensors (e.g., modular devices) to aroot node. In yet another aspect, the distributed computing system 5600utilizes first-order prediction coding to compress the data collected bythe nodes 5602 a, 5602 b, 5602 c having sensors (e.g., modular devices),which can minimize the amount of redundant information and greatlyreduce the amount of data transmission between the nodes 5602 a, 5602 b,5602 c of the network. In yet another exemplification, the distributedcomputing system 5600 is configured to transmit only theelectroencephalogram (EEG) features. In still yet anotherexemplification, the distributed computing system 5600 can be configuredto transmit only the complex data features that are pertinent to thesurgical instrument detection, which can save significant power inwireless transmission. Various other exemplifications can utilizecombinations of the aforementioned data compression techniques and/oradditional techniques of data compression.

FIG. 45 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process 5650 for shiftingdistributed computing resources. In the following description of the5650, reference should also be made to FIG. 44. In one exemplification,the process 5650 can be executed by a distributed computing systemincluding a control circuit of a surgical hub 206, as depicted in FIG.10 (processor 244), in combination with a control circuit of a secondsurgical hub 206 and/or a control circuit of a modular device, such asthe microcontroller 461 of the surgical instrument depicted FIG. 12, themicrocontroller 620 of the surgical instrument depicted in FIG. 16, thecontrol circuit 710 of the robotic surgical instrument 700 depicted inFIG. 17, the control circuit 760 of the surgical instruments 750, 790depicted in FIGS. 18 and 19, or the controller 838 of the generator 800depicted in FIG. 20. For economy, the following description of theprocess 5650 will be described as being executed by the control circuitsof one or more nodes; however, it should be understood that thedescription of the process 5650 encompasses all of the aforementionedexemplifications.

The control circuits of each node execute 5652 a distributed controlprogram in synchrony. As the distributed control program is beingexecuted across the network of nodes, at least one of the controlcircuits monitors for a command instructing the distributed computingsystem to shift from a first mode, wherein the distributed computingprogram is executed across the network of nodes, to a second mode,wherein the control program is executed by a single node. In oneexemplification, the command can be transmitted by a surgical hub inresponse to the surgical hub's resources being needed for an alternativecomputing task. In another exemplification, the command can betransmitted by a modular device in response to the rate at which thedata is sampled by the modular device outpacing the rate at which thesampled data can be communicated to the other nodes in the network. If acontrol circuit determines that an appropriate command has been received5654, the process 5650 continues along the YES branch and thedistributed computing system 5600 shifts to a single node executing 5656the program. For example, the distributed computing system 5600 shiftsthe distributed computing program from being executed by both a modulardevice and a surgical hub to being executed solely by the modulardevice. As another example, the distributed computing system 5600 shiftsthe distributed computing program from being executed by both a firstsurgical hub and a second surgical hub to being executed solely by thefirst surgical hub. If no control circuit determines that an appropriatecommand has been received 5654, the process continues along the NObranch and the control circuits of the network of nodes continuesexecuting 5652 the distributed computing program across the network ofnodes.

In the event that the program has been shifted to being executed 5656 bya single node, the control circuit of the particular node solelyexecuting the distributed program and/or a control circuit of anothernode within the network (which previously was executing the distributedprogram) monitors for a command instructing the node to re-distributethe processing of the program across the distributed computing system.In other words, the node monitors for a command to re-initiate thedistributed computing system. In one exemplification, the command tore-distribute the processing across the network can be generated whenthe sampling rate of the sensor is less than the data communication ratebetween the modular device and the surgical hub. If a control circuitreceives 5658 an appropriate command to re-distribute the processing,then the process 5650 proceeds along the YES branch and the program isonce again executed 5652 across the node network. If a control circuithas not received 5658 an appropriate command, then the node continuessingularly executing 5656 the program.

The process 5650 depicted in FIG. 45 eliminates data or communicationbottlenecks in controlling modular devices by utilizing a distributedcomputing architecture that can shift computing resources either betweenthe modular devices and surgical hubs or between the surgical hubs asneeded. This process 5650 also improves the modular devices' dataprocessing speed by allowing the processing of the modular devices'control adjustments to be executed at least in part by the modulardevices themselves. This process 5650 also improves the surgical hubs'data processing speed by allowing the surgical hubs to shift computingresources between themselves as necessary.

It can be difficult during video-assisted surgical procedures, such aslaparoscopic procedures, to accurately measure sizes or dimensions offeatures being viewed through a medical imaging device due to distortiveeffects caused by the device's lens. Being able to accurately measuresizes and dimensions during video-assisted procedures could assist asituational awareness system for a surgical hub by allowing the surgicalhub to accurately identify organs and other structures duringvideo-assisted surgical procedures. As one solution, a surgical hubcould be configured to automatically calculate sizes or dimensions ofstructures (or distances between structures) during a surgical procedureby comparing the structures to markings affixed to devices that areintended to be placed within the FOV of the medical imaging deviceduring a surgical procedure. The markings can represent a known scale,which can then be utilized to make measurements by comparing the unknownmeasured length to the known scale.

In one exemplification, the surgical hub is configured to receive imageor video data from a medical imaging device paired with the surgicalhub. When a surgical instrument bearing a calibration scale is withinthe FOV of the medical imaging device, the surgical hub is able tomeasure organs and other structures that are likewise within the medicalimaging device's FOV by comparing the structures to the calibrationscale. The calibration scale can be positioned on, for example, thedistal end of a surgical instrument.

FIG. 46 illustrates a diagram of an imaging system 5800 and a surgicalinstrument 5806 bearing a calibration scale 5808. The imaging system5800 includes a medical imaging device 5804 that is paired with asurgical hub 5802. The surgical hub 5802 can include a patternrecognition system or a machine learning system configured to recognizefeatures in the FOV from image or video data received from the medicalimaging device 5804. In one exemplification, a surgical instrument 5806(e.g., a surgical cutting and stapling instrument) that is intended toenter the FOV of the medical imaging device 5804 during a surgicalprocedure includes a calibration scale 5808 affixed thereon. Thecalibration scale 5808 can be positioned on the exterior surface of thesurgical instrument 5806, for example. In aspects wherein the surgicalinstrument 5806 is a surgical cutting and stapling instrument, thecalibration scale 5808 can be positioned along the exterior surface ofthe anvil. The calibration scale 5808 can include a series of graphicalmarkings separated at fixed and/or known intervals. The distance betweenthe end or terminal markings of the calibration scale 5808 can likewisebe a set distance L (e.g., 35 mm). In one exemplification, the endmarkings (e.g., the most proximal marking and the most distal marking)of the calibration scale 5808 are differentiated from the intermediatemarkings in size, shape, color, or another such fashion. This allows theimage recognition system of the surgical hub 5802 to identify the endmarkings separately from the intermediate markings. The distance(s)between the markings can be stored in a memory or otherwise retrieved bythe surgical hub 5802. The surgical hub 5802 can thus measure lengths orsizes of structures relative to the provided calibration scale 5808. InFIG. 46, for example, the surgical hub 5802 can calculate that theartery 5810 a has a diameter or width of D1 (e.g., 17.0 mm), the vein5810 b has a diameter or width of D2 (e.g., 17.5 mm), and the distancebetween the vessels is D3 (e.g., 20 mm) by comparing the visualizationsof these distances D1, D2, D3 to the known length L of the calibrationscale 5808 positioned on the surgical instrument 5806 within the FOV ofthe medical imaging device 5804. The surgical hub 5802 can recognize thepresence of the vessels 5810 a, 5810 b via an image recognition system.In some exemplifications, the surgical hub 5802 can be configured toautomatically measure and display the size or dimension of detectedfeatures within the FOV of the medical imaging device 5804. In someexemplifications, the surgical hub 5802 can be configured to calculatethe distance between various points selected by a user on an interactivedisplay that is paired with the surgical hub 5802.

The imaging system 5800 configured to detect and measure sizes accordingto a calibration scale 5808 affixed to surgical instruments 5806provides the ability to accurately measure sizes and distances duringvideo-assisted procedures. This can make it easier for surgeons toprecisely perform video-assisted procedures by compensating for theoptically distortive effects inherent in such procedures.

Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are set out inthe following numbered examples.

Example 1

A system comprising a surgical hub configured to communicably couple toa modular device comprising a sensor configured to detect dataassociated with the modular device and a device processor, the surgicalhub comprising: a hub processor; and a hub memory coupled to the hubprocessor; and a distributed control system executable at least in partby each of the device processor and the hub processor, the distributedcontrol system configured to: receive the data detected by the sensor;determine control adjustments for the modular device according to thedata; and control the modular device according to the controladjustments; wherein in a first mode the distributed control system isexecuted by both the hub processor and the device processor, and in asecond mode the distributed control system is executed solely by thedevice processor.

Example 2

The system of any one of Examples 1, wherein the distributed controlsystem is configured to shift from the first mode to the second modewhen a sampling rate of the sensor is greater than a data transmissionrate from the modular device to the surgical hub.

Example 3

The system of any one of Examples 1-2, wherein the distributed controlsystem is configured to shift from the second mode to the first modewhen a sampling rate of the sensor is less than a data transmission ratefrom the modular device to the surgical hub.

Example 4

The system of any one of Examples 1-3, wherein the modular devicecomprises a radiofrequency (RF) electrosurgical instrument and thedistributed control system is configured to control an energy level ofthe RF electrosurgical instrument.

Example 5

The system of any one of Examples 1-4, wherein the modular devicecomprises a surgical cutting and stapling instrument and the distributedcontrol system is configured to control a rate at which a motor of thesurgical cutting and stapling instrument drives a knife.

Example 6

A system comprising: a modular device configured to communicably coupleto a surgical hub comprising a hub processor, the modular devicecomprising: a sensor configured to detect data associated with themodular device; a device memory; and a device processor coupled to thedevice memory and the sensor; and a distributed control systemexecutable at least in part by each of the device processor and the hubprocessor, the distributed control system configured to: receive thedata detected by the sensor; determine control adjustments for themodular device according to the data; and control the modular deviceaccording to the control adjustments; wherein in a first mode thedistributed control system is executed by both the hub processor and thedevice processor, and in a second mode the distributed control system isexecuted solely by the device processor.

Example 7

The system of any one of Examples 6, wherein the distributed controlsystem is configured to shift from the first mode to the second modewhen a sampling rate of the sensor is greater than a data transmissionrate from the modular device to the surgical hub.

Example 8

The system of any one of Examples 6-7, wherein the distributed controlsystem is configured to shift from the second mode to the first modewhen a sampling rate of the sensor is less than a data transmission ratefrom the modular device to the surgical hub.

Example 9

The system of any one of Examples 6-8, wherein the modular devicecomprises a radiofrequency (RF) electrosurgical instrument and thedistributed control system is configured to control an energy level ofthe RF electrosurgical instrument.

Example 10

The system of any one of Examples 6-9, wherein the modular devicecomprises a surgical cutting and stapling instrument and the distributedcontrol system is configured to control a rate at which a motor of thesurgical cutting and stapling instrument drives a knife.

Example 11

A system configured to control a modular device comprising a sensorconfigured to detect data associated with the modular device, the systemcomprising: a first surgical hub configured to communicably couple tothe modular device and to a second surgical hub comprising a secondprocessor, the first surgical hub comprising: a memory; and a firstprocessor coupled to the memory; and a distributed control systemexecutable at least in part by each of the first processor and thesecond processor, the distributed control system configured to: receivethe data detected by the sensor; determine control adjustments for themodular device according to the data; and control the modular deviceaccording to the control adjustments.

Example 12

The system of any one of Examples 11, wherein the distributed controlsystem is transitionable between a first mode, where the distributedcontrol system is executed by both the first processor and the secondprocessor, and a second mode, where the distributed control system isexecuted solely by the first processor.

Example 13

The system of any one of Examples 11-12, wherein the distributed controlsystem is configured to shift between the first mode and the second modeupon receiving a command.

Example 14

The system of any one of Examples 11-13, wherein the modular devicecomprises a radiofrequency (RF) electrosurgical instrument and thedistributed control system is configured to control an energy level ofthe RF electrosurgical instrument.

Example 15

The system of any one of Examples 11-14, wherein the modular devicecomprises a surgical cutting and stapling instrument and the distributedcontrol system is configured to control a rate at which a motor of thesurgical cutting and stapling instrument drives a knife.

While several forms have been illustrated and described, it is not theintention of the applicant to restrict or limit the scope of theappended claims to such detail. Numerous modifications, variations,changes, substitutions, combinations, and equivalents to those forms maybe implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, thestructure of each element associated with the described forms can bealternatively described as a means for providing the function performedby the element. Also, where materials are disclosed for certaincomponents, other materials may be used. It is therefore to beunderstood that the foregoing description and the appended claims areintended to cover all such modifications, combinations, and variationsas falling within the scope of the disclosed forms. The appended claimsare intended to cover all such modifications, variations, changes,substitutions, modifications, and equivalents.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various forms of thedevices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples can beimplemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range ofhardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof.Those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the formsdisclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implementedin integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on oneor more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or morecomputer systems), as one or more programs running on one or moreprocessors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or moremicroprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof,and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for thesoftware and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skillin the art in light of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matterdescribed herein are capable of being distributed as one or more programproducts in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative form of thesubject matter described herein applies regardless of the particulartype of signal bearing medium used to actually carry out thedistribution.

Instructions used to program logic to perform various disclosed aspectscan be stored within a memory in the system, such as dynamic randomaccess memory (DRAM), cache, flash memory, or other storage.Furthermore, the instructions can be distributed via a network or by wayof other computer readable media. Thus a machine-readable medium mayinclude any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a formreadable by a machine (e.g., a computer), but is not limited to, floppydiskettes, optical disks, compact disc, read-only memory (CD-ROMs), andmagneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROMs), random access memory(RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic or opticalcards, flash memory, or a tangible, machine-readable storage used in thetransmission of information over the Internet via electrical, optical,acoustical or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves,infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). Accordingly, thenon-transitory computer-readable medium includes any type of tangiblemachine-readable medium suitable for storing or transmitting electronicinstructions or information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., acomputer).

As used in any aspect herein, the term “control circuit” may refer to,for example, hardwired circuitry, programmable circuitry (e.g., acomputer processor comprising one or more individual instructionprocessing cores, processing unit, processor, microcontroller,microcontroller unit, controller, digital signal processor (DSP),programmable logic device (PLD), programmable logic array (PLA), orfield programmable gate array (FPGA)), state machine circuitry, firmwarethat stores instructions executed by programmable circuitry, and anycombination thereof. The control circuit may, collectively orindividually, be embodied as circuitry that forms part of a largersystem, for example, an integrated circuit (IC), an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a system on-chip (SoC), desktop computers,laptop computers, tablet computers, servers, smart phones, etc.Accordingly, as used herein “control circuit” includes, but is notlimited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electricalcircuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit,electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integratedcircuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing deviceconfigured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computerconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessorconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forminga memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or electricalcircuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communicationsswitch, or optical-electrical equipment). Those having skill in the artwill recognize that the subject matter described herein may beimplemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof.

As used in any aspect herein, the term “logic” may refer to an app,software, firmware and/or circuitry configured to perform any of theaforementioned operations. Software may be embodied as a softwarepackage, code, instructions, instruction sets and/or data recorded onnon-transitory computer readable storage medium. Firmware may beembodied as code, instructions or instruction sets and/or data that arehard-coded (e.g., nonvolatile) in memory devices.

As used in any aspect herein, the terms “component,” “system,” “module”and the like can refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, acombination of hardware and software, software, or software inexecution.

As used in any aspect herein, an “algorithm” refers to a self-consistentsequence of steps leading to a desired result, where a “step” refers toa manipulation of physical quantities and/or logic states which may,though need not necessarily, take the form of electrical or magneticsignals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, andotherwise manipulated. It is common usage to refer to these signals asbits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or thelike. These and similar terms may be associated with the appropriatephysical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to thesequantities and/or states.

A network may include a packet switched network. The communicationdevices may be capable of communicating with each other using a selectedpacket switched network communications protocol. One examplecommunications protocol may include an Ethernet communications protocolwhich may be capable permitting communication using a TransmissionControl Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The Ethernet protocol maycomply or be compatible with the Ethernet standard published by theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) titled “IEEE802.3 Standard”, published in December, 2008 and/or later versions ofthis standard. Alternatively or additionally, the communication devicesmay be capable of communicating with each other using an X.25communications protocol. The X.25 communications protocol may comply orbe compatible with a standard promulgated by the InternationalTelecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector(ITU-T). Alternatively or additionally, the communication devices may becapable of communicating with each other using a frame relaycommunications protocol. The frame relay communications protocol maycomply or be compatible with a standard promulgated by ConsultativeCommittee for International Telegraph and Telephone (CCITT) and/or theAmerican National Standards Institute (ANSI). Alternatively oradditionally, the transceivers may be capable of communicating with eachother using an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communications protocol.The ATM communications protocol may comply or be compatible with an ATMstandard published by the ATM Forum titled “ATM-MPLS NetworkInterworking 2.0” published August 2001, and/or later versions of thisstandard. Of course, different and/or after-developedconnection-oriented network communication protocols are equallycontemplated herein.

Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the foregoingdisclosure, it is appreciated that, throughout the foregoing disclosure,discussions using terms such as “processing,” “computing,”“calculating,” “determining,” “displaying,” or the like, refer to theaction and processes of a computer system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

One or more components may be referred to herein as “configured to,”“configurable to,” “operable/operative to,” “adapted/adaptable,” “ableto,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Those skilled in the art willrecognize that “configured to” can generally encompass active-statecomponents and/or inactive-state components and/or standby-statecomponents, unless context requires otherwise.

The terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein with reference to aclinician manipulating the handle portion of the surgical instrument.The term “proximal” refers to the portion closest to the clinician andthe term “distal” refers to the portion located away from the clinician.It will be further appreciated that, for convenience and clarity,spatial terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, and “down” may beused herein with respect to the drawings. However, surgical instrumentsare used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are notintended to be limiting and/or absolute.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in general, terms usedherein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of theappended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to claims containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations.

In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitationis explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that suchrecitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recitednumber (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be furtherunderstood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive wordand/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in thedescription, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplatethe possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, orboth terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “Aor B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A”or “B” or “A and B.”

With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art willappreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed inany order. Also, although various operational flow diagrams arepresented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the variousoperations may be performed in other orders than those which areillustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of suchalternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted,reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous,reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise.Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or otherpast-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude suchvariants, unless context dictates otherwise.

It is worthy to note that any reference to “one aspect,” “an aspect,”“an exemplification,” “one exemplification,” and the like means that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connectionwith the aspect is included in at least one aspect. Thus, appearances ofthe phrases “in one aspect,” “in an aspect,” “in an exemplification,”and “in one exemplification” in various places throughout thespecification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect.Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more aspects.

Any patent application, patent, non-patent publication, or otherdisclosure material referred to in this specification and/or listed inany Application Data Sheet is incorporated by reference herein, to theextent that the incorporated materials is not inconsistent herewith. Assuch, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly setforth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein byreference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to beincorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existingdefinitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth hereinwill only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises betweenthat incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

In summary, numerous benefits have been described which result fromemploying the concepts described herein. The foregoing description ofthe one or more forms has been presented for purposes of illustrationand description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to theprecise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible inlight of the above teachings. The one or more forms were chosen anddescribed in order to illustrate principles and practical application tothereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the variousforms and with various modifications as are suited to the particular usecontemplated. It is intended that the claims submitted herewith definethe overall scope.

1. A system comprising: a surgical hub configured to communicably coupleto a modular device comprising a sensor configured to detect dataassociated with the modular device and a device processor, the surgicalhub comprising: a hub processor; and a hub memory coupled to the hubprocessor; and a distributed control system executable at least in partby each of the device processor and the hub processor, the distributedcontrol system configured to: receive the data detected by the sensor;determine control adjustments for the modular device according to thedata; and control the modular device according to the controladjustments; wherein in a first mode the distributed control system isexecuted by both the hub processor and the device processor, and in asecond mode the distributed control system is executed solely by thedevice processor.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the distributedcontrol system is configured to shift from the first mode to the secondmode when a sampling rate of the sensor is greater than a datatransmission rate from the modular device to the surgical hub.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the distributed control system is configuredto shift from the second mode to the first mode when a sampling rate ofthe sensor is less than a data transmission rate from the modular deviceto the surgical hub.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the modulardevice comprises a radiofrequency (RF) electrosurgical instrument andthe distributed control system is configured to control an energy levelof the RF electrosurgical instrument.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinthe modular device comprises a surgical cutting and stapling instrumentand the distributed control system is configured to control a rate atwhich a motor of the surgical cutting and stapling instrument drives aknife.
 6. A system comprising: a modular device configured tocommunicably couple to a surgical hub comprising a hub processor, themodular device comprising: a sensor configured to detect data associatedwith the modular device; a device memory; and a device processor coupledto the device memory and the sensor; and a distributed control systemexecutable at least in part by each of the device processor and the hubprocessor, the distributed control system configured to: receive thedata detected by the sensor; determine control adjustments for themodular device according to the data; and control the modular deviceaccording to the control adjustments; wherein in a first mode thedistributed control system is executed by both the hub processor and thedevice processor, and in a second mode the distributed control system isexecuted solely by the device processor.
 7. The system of claim 6,wherein the distributed control system is configured to shift from thefirst mode to the second mode when a sampling rate of the sensor isgreater than a data transmission rate from the modular device to thesurgical hub.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the distributed controlsystem is configured to shift from the second mode to the first modewhen a sampling rate of the sensor is less than a data transmission ratefrom the modular device to the surgical hub.
 9. The system of claim 6,wherein the modular device comprises a radiofrequency (RF)electrosurgical instrument and the distributed control system isconfigured to control an energy level of the RF electrosurgicalinstrument.
 10. The system of claim 6, wherein the modular devicecomprises a surgical cutting and stapling instrument and the distributedcontrol system is configured to control a rate at which a motor of thesurgical cutting and stapling instrument drives a knife.
 11. A systemconfigured to control a modular device comprising a sensor configured todetect data associated with the modular device, the system comprising: afirst surgical hub configured to communicably couple to the modulardevice and to a second surgical hub comprising a second processor, thefirst surgical hub comprising: a memory; and a first processor coupledto the memory; and a distributed control system executable at least inpart by each of the first processor and the second processor, thedistributed control system configured to: receive the data detected bythe sensor; determine control adjustments for the modular deviceaccording to the data; and control the modular device according to thecontrol adjustments.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the distributedcontrol system is transitionable between a first mode, where thedistributed control system is executed by both the first processor andthe second processor, and a second mode, where the distributed controlsystem is executed solely by the first processor.
 13. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the distributed control system is configured to shiftbetween the first mode and the second mode upon receiving a command. 14.The system of claim 11, wherein the modular device comprises aradiofrequency (RF) electrosurgical instrument and the distributedcontrol system is configured to control an energy level of the RFelectrosurgical instrument.
 15. The system of claim 11, wherein themodular device comprises a surgical cutting and stapling instrument andthe distributed control system is configured to control a rate at whicha motor of the surgical cutting and stapling instrument drives a knife.